London close: Tough day for Footsie
22nd Oct 2009 16:41
Blue chips rallied late in the day, but it was a tough session generally with miners and insurance companies under pressure. Telcos led the rally with Vodafone, British Telecom and satellite group Inmarsat all making gains near the close. Lloyds was also a late riser as on reports that it is close
Read moreLondon afternoon: Stocks stuck at lower levels
22nd Oct 2009 14:10
The Footsie finished the lunch-time session little changed from where it started it, despite mining stocks trimming losses sustained in the morning. Mining giant Anglo American is actually higher on the day after it announced plans to divest assets, including its zinc and tarmac operations, as it
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie off worst but still lower
22nd Oct 2009 12:12
Footsie is off its worst but is still showing hefty falls as miners and insurers lead the market lower. Platinum miner Lonmin has again unsettled the mining sector as it saw a 20% decline in production of the precious metal in the fourth quarter after having to shut down mines for safety reasons an
Read moreMilestone payment in sight for Vectura
22nd Oct 2009 09:14
Respiratory inhaler firm Vectura expects to receive a milestone payment of $7.5m in the financial year to 31 March 2011 as a result of the initiation of Phase III studies relating to QVA149, its chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment. The company said the Phase III studies of QVA14
Read moreLondon close: Stocks in late surge
18th Aug 2009 16:36
A late rally driven by early gains in the US had London back up at session highs, with gains among financial plays easily offsetting a weaker property sector. Investors overcame disappointing US housing starts data that had the blue chip index struggling at session lows mid-afternoon. The annual ra
Read moreLondon afternoon: Gains pegged after US housing data
18th Aug 2009 14:37
Disappointing US housing starts data took the wind out of London's sales over the lunchtime session, though the blue-chip FTSE 100 index remains in the blue. Housing starts are seen as one of the vital signs of the US economy and July's figures disappointed, with the annualised number of housing sta
Read moreLondon midday: Properties left behind in market rally
18th Aug 2009 12:00
Once again mining stocks are in the driving seat but today they are driving the market north, with many stocks recovering some of yesterday's heavy losses. Xstrata, ENRC, Kazakhmys and Lonmin are the picks of the mining sector, along with cash strapped Rio Tinto, which has received a $2.025bn offe
Read moreLondon open: Footsie fights back
18th Aug 2009 08:11
London's top stocks are winning back some of the heavy losses it posted yesterday, with miners among the main risers. Xstrata is the best blue chip performer in early dealings, closely followed by Rio Tinto, Randgold Resources and Kazakhmys. Cash strapped miner Rio Tinto has received a $2.025bn of
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie to recoup losses
18th Aug 2009 07:44
Footsie is expected to win back some of the heavy losses it posted yesterday. British Land saw the value of its property portfolio fall to £8.18bn in the first quarter but said the pace of decline has slowed markedly. The group, which has been the subject of intense bid speculation, said £3.2bn (39
Read moreCash-rich Vectura in upbeat mood
18th Aug 2009 07:07
Respiratory inhaler firm Vectura remains "very confident" about prospects with important drug trials due to start later this year and plenty of cash in the bank. Phase III trials of QVA149 to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are expected to start in late 2009. The drug combines Vectura's
Read moreLondon close: Late gains lift Footsie
29th Jun 2009 16:50
After a rather sluggish start to the day, Footsie ended with chunky gains, helped by buoyancy on Wall Street. Lloyds Banking topped the list of risers after Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the shares from "neutral" to "buy" and added them to its "conviction buy" list. Goldman Sachs has also lif
Read moreLondon afternoon: Financials spearhead the advance
29th Jun 2009 14:21
Banks and insurers lead the way as London continues its steady advance. Lloyds Banking tops the list of risers after Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the shares from "neutral" to "buy" and added them to its "Conviction Buy" list. Goldman Sachs has also lifted its target price from 61p to 107p, af
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Approach sends transport firms both ways
29th Jun 2009 09:54
FirstGroup is among the heaviest fallers after making a merger approach for fellow bus and rail group National Express. National Express said it 'does not consider it appropriate to enter into discussions with FirstGroup. Informa is the top riser even after it warned that half-year organic revenues
Read moreNovartis to make milestone payment to Vectura
29th Jun 2009 07:30
Swiss drugs giant Novartis has started a Phase III clinical study of NVA, the treatment it licensed from joint-developers Vectura Group and Sosei Group, triggering milestone payments for both companies. NVA237 is a dry powder formulation for oral inhalation of glycopyrronium bromide, intended to b
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