London close: Shares edge higher on quiet day

4th Apr 2011 16:43

Having hovered around its starting point for much of the day, the top share index finished just a few points higher. Vodafone's sale of what it considers non-core minority stakes continues with the sale of its 44% holding in French mobile phone group SFR to French media group Vivendi for €7.75bn (£

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London midday: Shares seeking direction

4th Apr 2011 12:25

Shares are still seeking direction after a slight recovery following a lower start in the morning. It has been a morning for asset sales with both telecoms giant Vodafone and oil colossus BP pressing on with their respective asset sale programmes. Vodafone's sale of what it considers non-core min

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London open: Shares drift lower

4th Apr 2011 08:27

The top share index has drifted slightly lower in early dealings though a couple of big hitters have moved higher after updates. It has been a morning for asset sales with both telecoms giant Vodafone and oil colossus BP pressing on with their respective asset sale programmes. Vodafone's sale of

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London pre-open: BP and Voda in asset sales

4th Apr 2011 07:43

The market looks set to open slightly lower with City traders predicting the FTSE 100 index will open around 7 points down from Friday's close. It has been a morning for asset sales with both telecoms giant Vodafone and oil colossus BP pressing on with their respective asset sale programmes. Voda

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Vodafone sells SFR stake

4th Apr 2011 07:03

Vodafone's sale of what it considers non-core minority stakes continues with the sale of its 44% holding in French mobile phone group SFR to French media group Vivendi. Vivendi is paying €7.75bn (£6.8bn) in cash for Vodafone's stake. The UK-based mobile phone network operator will also receive a fi

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Ofcom kicks off 4G auction

22nd Mar 2011 08:25

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has started the ball rolling on the auction of bandwidth for the next generation of smart 4G mobile phones. The regulator said the auction for space the two spectrum bands - 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz - will begin in the first quarter of 2012 with strict safeguards to stop any one

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London close: Stocks hold on to gains

21st Mar 2011 16:17

The FTSE 100 remained broadly flat since 0900, holding on to gains made in early trading. Sentiment was boosted by signs of progress being made in the handling of the nuclear crisis. Two reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan were successfully brought into cold shut down unde

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Sector movers: AT&T move gives telecoms sector a boost

21st Mar 2011 16:13

The mobile telecommunications sector is performing well led by blue chip Vodafone, which is rising on the back of AT&T's $39bn bid for Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA. If the bid is allowed, the enlarged firm will become number one, but both AT&T and Verizon Wireless - in which Vodafone has a 45% s

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London afternoon: Stocks consolidate gains

21st Mar 2011 14:53

Stocks have largely been in consolidation mode in the afternoon session after a strong performance this morning. Telecoms titan Vodafone is a high riser on the back of AT&T's $39bn bid for Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA. If the bid is allowed, the enlarged firm will become number one, but both AT&

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FTSE 100 movers: Barclays sells mortgage assets

21st Mar 2011 13:44

Barclays has sold a portfolio of property loans to CreXus Investment Corp, a commercial mortgage REIT, for $586m in cash. CreXus needs to sell shares to raise money via a share issue in order to buy the 30 commercial real estate assets. CreXus is managed by a subsidiary of Annaly Capital Managemen

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London midday: Stocks back on the climb

21st Mar 2011 12:23

Footsie finished the morning 10 points or so below its high for the day after regaining impetus following a mild spell of profit taking mid-morning. Telecoms titan Vodafone is a high riser on the back of AT&T's $39bn bid for Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA. If the bid is allowed, the enlarged firm

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London open: Telecoms power forward on AT&T move

21st Mar 2011 08:50

Footsie has opened brightly with telecoms stocks powering ahead on the back of AT&T's huge $39bn bid for Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA. Vodafone is top riser as analysts have wasted little time working out what it means in value terms for Vodafone's 45% stake in current US market leader Verizon

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F&C chairman continues buying

18th Mar 2011 16:54

F&C Asset Management chairman Edward Bramson's interests have been consistently buying shares in the past week, while F&C chief executive Alain Grisay has made a significant disposal. Bramson was appointed chairman of F&C last month after a shareholder coup but his investment vehicle SIGA LP had

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FTSE 100 movers: New price review regime pleases National Grid

18th Mar 2011 14:59

Power and gas grid operator National Grid is heading the gainers after OfGem published details of its new price review regime which the regulator said will provide strong incentives and penalties to encourage smarter, more sustainable networks. The price controls for Britain's gas and electricity

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Broker tips: Greggs, Vodafone, Marston's

17th Mar 2011 13:32

Greggs made good progress in 2010 against its shop roll-out and cost control plans, and this is expected to continue into 2011 despite a challenging retail environment, according to UBS. The popular bakery chain announced 2010 results Wednesday that were broadly in line with the broker expectations

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