London close: Footsie retreats after new high
12th Nov 2009 17:00
Footsie hit a new intra-day high for the year in mid-afternoon, but buyer interest tailed off near the close as US markets retreated on a mild resurgence by the dollar. British Airways was the top performer after the airline confirmed it is holding meetings with Spanish airline Iberia to discuss th
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie hits new 2009 peak
12th Nov 2009 15:21
Footsie has hit a new intra-day high for the year as the majority of blue-chips head higher. British Airways is the top performer after confirming that it is holding meetings with Spanish airline Iberia to discuss the possibility of a merger. 'The British Airways and Iberia boards are holding sepa
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE flat
12th Nov 2009 12:05
It is back to square one for Footsie, which is virtually unchanged on the day despite a warm reception to results from BT and confirmation from British Airways that the long awaited merger with Iberia is close to consummation. British Airways has confirmed that it is holding meetings with Spanish a
Read moreLondon open: BT turns Footsie blue
12th Nov 2009 08:32
Shares are inching higher in early deals as investors welcome second quarter results from BT, offsetting losses among insurers following results from Friends Provident owner Resolution. Telecoms giant BT reported second quarter revenue was in line with expectations and thinks it can cut costs by at
Read moreVodafone in Taiwanese tie-up
12th Nov 2009 08:01
Mobile telecommunications colossus Vodafone has entered into a strategic partnership with a leading telecoms operator in Taiwan. Vodafone and Chungwha Telecom have signed a partner market agreement to provide customers with communications services and enhanced roaming arrangements. The agreement w
Read moreLondon close: Flat finish for FTSE 100
10th Nov 2009 16:29
Footsie finished slightly in the red having failed to find any sense of direction all day as results sent stocks in both directions. Banking titan HSBC climbed after it said underlying third quarter profit was "significantly" ahead of the same time last year. It's also seeing some stabilisation in
Read moreUpdate: Job fears at Vodafone as cost cuts to double
10th Nov 2009 14:50
Vodafone traded in line with expectations during the first half, but fear is that jobs could go as the mobile giant doubles its cost-cutting programme to £2bn. Chief executive Vittorio Colao said he expects to deliver £1bn cost reduction programme a year ahead of plan and a further £1bn of cost sav
Read moreLondon afternoon: Miners drag Footsie under
10th Nov 2009 14:31
With the US markets opening lower, London has followed suit, despite a strong performance from FTSE 100 index heavyweight HSBC. Banking titan HSBC said underlying third quarter profit was "significantly" ahead of the same time last year. It's also seeing some stabilisation in its bad debts picture,
Read moreLondon midday: Mixed fortunes for banks
10th Nov 2009 11:58
Despite a slew of company results to pick over the market continues to lack direction, though a good reception to results from index heavyweight HSBC helps underpin the FTSE 100's positive showing. Banking titan HSBC said underlying third quarter profit was "significantly" ahead of the same time la
Read moreSector movers: HSBC cheer offsets Barclays gloom
10th Nov 2009 10:52
Banking is one of the best performing sectors despite mixed results. HSBC leads the sector higher, after saying it is seeing some stabilisation in its bad debts picture, especially in the US, while elsewhere business generally remains strong. "Overall, loan impairment charges and other credit risk
Read moreLondon open: Early improvement
10th Nov 2009 08:33
UK shares have started to edge higher after an initial pause as investors weigh up a flood of results from some of the country's biggest companies. Schroders leads the way following a smaller than expected 19% drop in third quarter profit. The fund manager made a profit before tax and exceptional i
Read moreLondon pre-open: Moderately firmer start seen
10th Nov 2009 07:44
London is expected to open moderately firmer against a background of a busy company results scene. The FTSE 100 is expected to open up around 11 points higher at 5,246. Mobile phone network Vodafone traded in line with expectations during the first half of its fiscal year, raising revenue by over
Read moreVodafone on track at half-way stage
10th Nov 2009 07:24
Vodafone traded in line with expectations during the first half, raising revenue by over 9% and adjusted operating profit by 2.4%, and said it expects full-year profit to be between £11-11.8bn. Adjusted operating profit rose to £5.91bn in the six months ended 30 September, up from £5.77bn the year
Read moreTuesday preview: HSBC, Barclays, Vodafone
9th Nov 2009 15:43
A barrage of big company results are due out Tuesday, with the biggest company by market value, HSBC, the heaviest of the heavyweights declaring figures. Third quarter results from the Asia focused banking giant should provide a stark contrast to the figures last week from part-nationalised lender
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: Cadbury, RBS/Lloyds, Vodafone
9th Nov 2009 06:18
Kraft, the American food company, is poised to initiate a hostile takeover bid for Cadbury today at or slightly above the offer it made in September, which valued the British confectioner at £10.2bn, according to a person familiar with the deal. Last night Kraft was finalising plans to go directly
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