London afternoon: Bid activity keeps the pot bubbling
15th Nov 2010 14:07
A sprinkling of bid speculation is livening up markets this Monday, as traders wait for the Irish sovereign debt situation to play itself out. Shares in Invensys are higher despite the engineering firm denying press reports that it has received an approach. The company's chief executive Ulf Henrik
Read moreLondon close: Two-year high for blue chips
4th Nov 2010 17:01
Footsie hit a two-year high as investors piled into blue chips after yesterday's larger-than-expected stimulus package unveiled by the US Federal Reserve. But the good sentiment was not universal, with some hefty fallers on the back of disappointing trading updates. Hopes that the Bank of England's
Read moreLondon afternoon: Morning's gains consolidated
4th Nov 2010 14:23
Since the Bank of England's noon announcement extinguished the small hopes of Britain joining the US in reviving its quantitative easing programme, leading shares have marked time. Miners are still doing particularly well on hopes that the Fed's stimulus measures will help sustain the global econo
Read moreLondon afternoon: Miners retain most of their gains
25th Oct 2010 14:28
London has lost some of its gains in the early afternoon but it is showing signs of a renewed upturn. Miners remain the best performers on expectations that the US dollar will suffer a relapse after the G20 agreement over the week-end that should, if adhered to, bring an end to so-called currency w
Read moreLondon midday: Banks miss out
25th Oct 2010 12:05
Having got off to a flying start London spent the mid-morning period slowly relinquishing its gains before regaining impetus just before midday. Miners continue to lead the advance on expectations that the US dollar will suffer a relapse after the G20 agreement over the week-end that should, if adh
Read moreBBA mortgage approvals at 18-month nadir
25th Oct 2010 10:22
There was more bad news for the UK housing market on Monday as the British Bankers' Association's measurement of mortgage approvals fell to an 18-month low in September. The number of new mortgages approved by members of the British Bankers' Association (BBA) in September was just 31,104, down from
Read moreLondon close: Footsie closes lower after China rate hike
19th Oct 2010 16:39
Shares fell in the afternoon after a surprise hike in rates in China took investors by surprise and the leading share index finished firmly in the red. The People's Bank of China upped its one-year deposit rate to 2.5% from 2.25%, while the lending rate has been hiked to 5.56% from 5.31%, with effe
Read moreLondon afternoon: Chinese rate rises prompt sell-off
19th Oct 2010 14:24
Having drifted aimlessly during the morning session shares turned briskly south over lunch after China made surprise changes to some of its interest rates. The People's Bank of China upped its one-year deposit rate to 2.5% from 2.25%, while the lending rate has been hiked to 5.56% from 5.31%, with e
Read moreLondon close: Footsie closes on low note
7th Oct 2010 16:52
Footsie turned down in the afternoon session despite better than expected US jobs and retail sales figures. US shares did not respond to the economic data and by midday the Dow was showing strongly red. In Europe, interest rates were left on hold by both the Bank of England and European Central ba
Read moreLondon close: Lower finish for FTSE 100
10th Aug 2010 16:42
A poor reception for updates from the holiday-related stocks TUI Travel and InterContinental Hotels helped ensure Footsie closed in the red, while economic worries also weighed on sentiment. China's trade surplus hit an 18-month high as exports surged and imports slowed. Imports increased 22.7% i
Read moreLondon afternoon: Buyers take a holiday
10th Aug 2010 14:14
Leading equities moved further into the red over the lunch time session as investors remained concerned about slowing growth in the Chinese economy and signs closer to home that the Budget spending cuts are starting to have an effect on the mood of UK consumers. China's trade surplus hit an 18-mon
Read moreLondon midday: Consumer spending fears sink Footsie
10th Aug 2010 12:02
Concern about consumer spending has pulled the rug from under Footsie after a profit warning from tour operator TUI and weak retail sales figures. TUI Travel warned profits this year will be at the low end of forecasts after UK bookings faltered. Bookings by Britons are down by 2% over the past 12
Read moreLondon open: Poor start for Footsie
10th Aug 2010 08:54
London shares are lower in early dealings as comments from hotel and travel firms suggest consumers are starting to feel the pinch. Worries over the economy have certainly caught up with travel group TUI Travel, which warned profits this year will be at the low end of forecasts after UK bookings fa
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Legal & General, Taylor Wimpey, Mouchel
5th Aug 2010 06:10
From an investor perspective, there was an awful lot to like about Legal & General's results this time round. The company comfortably beat consensus forecasts on virtually every metric you'd care to look at, returning a pre-tax profit of £537m (against last time's £143m loss) and hiking the dividend
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: HSBC, Taylor Wimpey, Mouchel...
4th Aug 2010 06:42
HSBC is present in 87 countries around the world but is, sensibly, focusing its firepower on Asia because it believes the Chinese economy will outstrip the US by 2020. The market is expecting substantial increases in the dividend payment over the next few years with the prospective yield for the sh
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