FTSE 100 movers: Dividend news boosts United
21st Jan 2010 15:19
United Utilities is among the best of the risers on a tough day as an expected dividend cut following the latest Ofwat review came in lower than forecast. The group has also decided not to seek a referral to the Competition Commission of what it termed a 'challenging price review' by water regulato
Read moreSector movers: Utilities gush higher
21st Jan 2010 14:49
United Utilities has taken off today after the water company cut its dividend by less than expected to meet the requirements of the industry regulator's price review. It will rebase the dividend to 30p a share for fiscal 2010/11 from 34.3p this year. Experts had thought it might fall by 20-25%. Se
Read moreLondon afternoon: Banks face 'tsunami' of pressure
21st Jan 2010 14:44
Leading shares traded sideways over the lunchtime session, albeit with a small dip at 1:30pm when the US market opened a tad lower. Banks and miners are impeding Footsie's progress, with the latter still friendless on concerns about demand from China. Pundits are predicting that the Chinese authori
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie ahead after mixed morning
21st Jan 2010 12:01
Footsie can't make up its mind this morning and after dropping into the red after miners gave up early gains the index is making good progress again. Xstrata, Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Fresnillo, Kazakhmys and Vedanta Resources remain the main blue chip fallers on concerns about demand from China.
Read moreLondon open: Footsie fights back
21st Jan 2010 08:17
United Utilities, Tullow Oil and a bunch of miners are leading London's blue chips higher in early dealings following yesterday's sharp losses. Water company United Utilities is to cut its dividend to 30p in fiscal 2010/11 from 34.3p as it seeks to conserve cash to meet the requirements of the indu
Read moreUnited Utilities to rebase dividend
21st Jan 2010 07:18
Water company United Utilities is to cut its dividend as it seeks to conserve cash to meet the requirements of the industry regulator’s price review. The group has decided not to seek a referral to the Competition Commission of what it termed a ‘challenging price review’ by water regulator Ofwat.
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks set to bounce back
21st Jan 2010 07:16
Despite the shake out on Wall Street overnight, leading shares in London look set to open firmer, with the Footsie tipped to open 20 points or so to the good. Supermarket giant Morrisons reported a 6.5% rise in like-for-like sales over the Christmas period, beating comparable figures from rivals Te
Read moreFTSE movers: Miners head lower
20th Jan 2010 17:27
It is unusual for one sector to make up all of the top ten fallers in the FTSE 100 but this has happened to day as mining companies are hit by concerns about the Chinese government's attempt to cool down its economy. The worry is that this will lead to lower demand for metals. Eurasian Natural Res
Read moreLondon close: Good gains for FTSE 100
18th Jan 2010 16:33
Footsie finished the day in the blue despite a sharp reversal in the fortunes of International Power, which earlier had soared on speculation of a takeover by French power giant GDF Suez. Shares in the energy company slid from their earlier highs after it admitted it held talks with GDF Suez about
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks keep climbing
18th Jan 2010 14:49
Ongoing bid speculation, stronger retailers and buoyant miners have pushed London above 5,500. International Power is top of the pile on press reports that French power giant GDF Suez has made a takeover approach to the group, but there has been no statement from either side over the truth of the s
Read moreLondon midday: Good morning for blue chips
18th Jan 2010 12:20
London's leading share index has enjoyed a good morning on hopes of a bid for International Power and a higher offer for Cadbury. IP is up nearly 5% after press reports that French power giant GDF Suez has made a takeover approach to the group, but there has been no statement from either side over
Read moreLondon open: M&A rumours in focus
18th Jan 2010 08:19
London's blue chips have made a good start to the new week, with International Power leading the way on takeover rumours. International Power is up more than 5% after press reports that French power giant GDF Suez has made a takeover approach to the group. Cadbury is also among this morning's rise
Read morePennon agrees to lower water bills
18th Jan 2010 07:40
Water company Pennon has accepted Ofwat's final determination on how much it can charge customers over the next five years. The South West Water owner has decided not to refer Ofwat's price determination for 2010-2015 to the Competition Commission and also promised real dividend growth over the fiv
Read moreLondon close: Footsie hits one-month high
23rd Dec 2009 16:23
The UK's leading index lost a chunk of its gains late on as weak housing data hurt Wall Street, although London still registered its best close in over a month. Despite predictably quiet trade, the FTSE 100 ended ahead for the third session in a row and as high as it's been since 16 November. It w
Read moreLondon afternoon: Gains trimmed
23rd Dec 2009 14:16
London saw its gains pared over the lunch time session in predictably quiet trading. Around one-third of Footsie constituents are now in the red, compared to around one-fifth at midday. Included among the laggards is Cairn Energy, which gives back some of the chunky gains racked up over the first t
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