London midday: Stocks pause ahead of US GDP and Fed announcement
29th Apr 2015 12:06
UK stocks markets wavered on Wednesday after a sell-off the previous session as investors treaded lightly ahead of economic growth data and a policy decision Stateside. London's FTSE 100 was trading 0.04% lower at 7,027.68 by midday with a flurry of mixed corporate earnings to digest from the likes
Read moreVodafone shares boosted by Berenberg upgrade to 'buy'
29th Apr 2015 09:25
Vodafone's share price was performing well on Wednesday after the telecoms stock was upgraded by Berenberg from 'hold' to 'buy'. The broker, which hiked its target price for the shares from 214p to 270p, said the valuation was "attractive" after the stock's underperformance over the last year. "We
Read moreLondon open: Stocks flatline amid earnings flurry ahead of FOMC
29th Apr 2015 09:16
UK stocks opened flat on Wednesday morning as investors digested a barrage of blue-chip earnings and awaited a Federal Reserve policy decision in the US. The FTSE 100 was trading just 0.03% lower at 7,028.48 early on. The index had retreated on Tuesday to 7,030.53 after setting a new all-time closi
Read moreBroker tips: Lloyds, Vodafone, Pace
23rd Apr 2015 17:31
Deutsche Bank has named Lloyds as its "top pick" in the UK banking sector ahead of the first-quarter reporting season, saying that operating conditions across the sector have been good over the start of 2015. "Lloyds is our top pick, Barclays offers material valuation upside, Standard Chartered is a
Read moreGoldman predicts inflection point at Vodafone as growth returns
23rd Apr 2015 09:44
The next 12 months will be a "year of inflection" for Vodafone, according to Goldman Sachs which predicts a return to organic growth at the telecoms giant. The US investment bank reiterated its 'buy' rating on the stock with a 260p target price. After seven years of profit declines, it expects Voda
Read moreThursday broker round-up
16th Apr 2015 13:42
AstraZeneca: Societe Generale reiterates buy and 6,660p target price. Tesco: Nomura reiterates neutral and lowers target to 185p from 190p. Burberry: UBS reiterates neutral stance and lifts target to 1,800p from 1,650p. Royal Dutch Shell: Barclays reiterates overweight. Persimmon: Shore Capital r
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks rise as BG Group takeover sparks M&A hopes
8th Apr 2015 11:54
London's FTSE 100 was fluctuating around the 7,000 level by Wednesday lunchtime as M&A activity gave sentiment a lift, with BG Group soaring as much as 40% after a takeover offer from Shell. Stocks across the oil and gas sector were rising strongly on speculation that Shell's move may spark a fresh
Read moreLondon open: M&A hopes boost UK stocks as BG Group soars on Shell takeover
8th Apr 2015 09:02
A takeover offer for BG Group and hopes for more M&A activity were giving UK stocks a big lift on Wednesday morning, with the FTSE 100 retesting the key 7,000 level. BG Group had soared by nearly 40% in early deals after oil major Shell offered £47bn in cash and shares for the natural gas outfit, sp
Read moreLondon close: FTSE jumps 1.9% as markets rally after Easter break
7th Apr 2015 17:06
London's FTSE 100 posted a triple-digit point gain on Tuesday as traders returned to their desks in a bullish mood after the long Easter weekend. Buoyed by the recent jump in crude prices, improving economic data and speculation that the Federal Reserve will not rush to hike interest rates, the Foot
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: BG Group leads the charge as resource stocks jump
7th Apr 2015 16:05
Resource stocks were the best performers in London on Tuesday afternoon as risk appetite returned after the long weekend, with BG Group leading the charge after buying a 78% stake in blocks IV and V in central Mongolia from Petro Matad. Meanwhile, after a four-day break on the stock market for Easte
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks jump 1.4% with investors bullish after Easter weekend
7th Apr 2015 12:02
UK stocks surged on Tuesday morning as investors made up for lost time following the four-day weekend, tracking a strong performance on Wall Street the previous session. London's FTSE 100 was up 1.4% at 6,929.97 by midday, with just a handful of blue chips registering losses. US stocks staged a str
Read moreBroker tips: Vodafone, Antofagasta, Airline stocks
7th Apr 2015 11:35
Shares in telecoms giant Vodafone were on the rise on Tuesday after UBS highlighted the possibility of a bid from US cable operator Liberty Global. The Swiss bank maintained a 'buy' rating and 265p target price on the UK-listed stock, saying that Liberty may be revisiting its strategy. Nevertheless,
Read moreVodafone shares gain as UBS speculates about possible Liberty Global deal
7th Apr 2015 09:19
Shares in telecoms giant Vodafone (VOD) were on the rise on Tuesday after UBS highlighted the possibility of a bid from US cable operator Liberty Global (LBTY). The Swiss bank maintained a 'buy' rating and 265p target price on the UK-listed stock, saying that LBTY may be revisiting its strategy. Re
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Carnival lifted by strong results, airline stocks rebound
27th Mar 2015 13:12
Carnival topped the risers as strong first-quarter results prompted a lift in full year earnings guidance. It boasted that advance bookings for the remainder of 2015 were steaming ahead of the prior year and at higher prices. "We are experiencing an on-going improvement in underlying fundamentals ba
Read moreBroker tips: Shire, Vodafone, Easyjet
27th Mar 2015 11:42
Shire has had its target price lifted by UBS from 5,400p to 6,600p as the Swiss bank highlighted three potential blockbuster products at the pharmaceutical group. A 'buy' rating was maintained. The bank played down recent concerns that Shire overpaid earlier this year when it $5.2bn for US biotech g
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