London open: Stocks pause ahead of non-farm payrolls with FTSE at record high
6th Mar 2015 08:19
UK stocks declined on Friday in spite of some upbeat economic data from Germany, as markets paused at record highs ahead of some key labour-market data in the States later on. The FTSE 100 was down 0.09% at 6,955 early on, pulling back from Thursday's all-time closing high of 6,961.14. Thursday's g
Read moreWeir Group stock gets lifted by bid speculation
6th Mar 2015 07:51
Shares in British engineering giant Weir Group rose by 5.8% early Friday to trade at 1836p amid bid speculation. In Thursday's session, Weir's shares leapt as much as 47p to close at 1740p. According to press reports, Weir's stock has rallied on the back of buyers piling into the company's shares a
Read moreLondon close: FTSE slips from record as Greek uncertainty resurfaces
25th Feb 2015 16:28
Renewed concerns about Greece prompted a retreat from all-time highs on Wednesday as investors scaled back their appetite for risk after a rally the previous session. London's FTSE 100 ended the day down 0.2% at 6,935.38, pulling back after hitting a new record close of 6,949.63 on Tuesday. Recent
Read moreSector movers: Engineers fall as Weir, Avingtrans and Molins disappoint
25th Feb 2015 14:40
The industrial engineering category was at the bottom of the pile on Wednesday as the share prices of sector peers Weir Group, Avingtrans and Molins all dropped sharply on the back of disappointing results. Blue chip engineer Weir, which operates in the minerals, oil and power markets, plunged over
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: St James's Place rockets on strong annual results, Weir slips on oil price outlook
25th Feb 2015 14:14
Wealth management group St James's Place topped the risers after it impressed City analysts on Wednesday with a solid set of annual results, as strong cash generation led it to hike its final dividend by 50%. Profits came in well ahead of the consensus forecast of £533m. Hospitality group Whitbread
Read moreWeir Group hit by oil price decline woes
25th Feb 2015 07:28
Shares in British engineering giant Weir Group plummeted to the bottom of the FTSE100 index, falling as much as 10.6% to 1666p, after warning that the sharp decline in the price of oil will have a "significant reduction" in constant currency group revenues this year. The weakening price of oil led t
Read moreWednesday preview: Eyes on Whitbread, Weir Group earnings and China manufacturing data
24th Feb 2015 18:32
Leisure and hospitality giant Whitbread is expected report its fourth quarter trading update on Wednesday. The update is likely to be welcomed by markets due to an improving UK consumer environment and strength in the hotel market. Analysts at UBS forecast fourth quarter revenue per available room g
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Standard Life lifted by results, IAG down with a bump
20th Feb 2015 13:59
Insurance giant Standard Life surged after beating forecasts with a 19% increase in annual operating profit before tax from continuing operations to £604m, while the total dividend was lifted 7.8% to 17.03p per share. The recent acquisition of Ignis also helped it to increase assets under administra
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: GKN on top as target price lifted, travel stocks gain as oil prices fall
12th Jan 2015 12:46
Engineer GKN was given a boost by Credit Suisse which lifted its target price on the stock from 380p to 410p and reiterated an 'outperform' rating. The broker said: "Despite automotive accounting for around 59% of 2015 estimated group revenue, investor attention is often focused on the aerospace div
Read moreLondon midday: Resource stocks drag FTSE 100 into the red
5th Jan 2015 11:36
UK stocks were trading firmly in the red by Monday lunchtime despite a positive start, with shares in the oil and mining sectors providing a drag. London's FTSE 100 was down 0.9% at 6,489 by midday, dropping sharply after reaching a high of 6,576.74 early on. This week will be the first full tradin
Read moreLondon close: Stocks make modest gains in final session of 2014
31st Dec 2014 12:59
London shares finished the final session of 2014 on a positive note, but fell short of last year's closing mark amid lower oil prices and geopolitical turmoil. The FTSE 100 Index closed 19.09 points up at 6,566.09 in a shortened session due to New Year's Eve, down from the 6,749 it reached on the fi
Read moreLondon close: Falling oil prices drag down shares
30th Dec 2014 16:06
Oil stocks dragged London shares deep into the red on Tuesday after crude prices hit a five-and-a-half year low. The FTSE 100 Index closed 86.51 points adrift at 6,547 as the price of a barrel of Brent crude dropped below $57, although it later recovered slightly. The price of a barrel of US light
Read moreLondon close: Santa Rally continues as UK stocks rise for sixth straight day
23rd Dec 2014 16:51
UK stocks rose again on Tuesday as the Santa Rally continued into its sixth straight day, with markets boosted by some upbeat economic data from the States. Third-quarter US annualised gross domestic product (GDP) growth was revised to 5% from an initial estimate of 3.9%, representing the strongest
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Centrica boosted by directorate change, oil and gas stocks strong
23rd Dec 2014 14:07
Centrica shares were boosted as the company appointed Carlos Pascual as a new non-executive director, who is said to have extensive geopolitical, economic and commercial development experience in the energy industry. "He brings a wealth of experience with his exceptionally strong international b
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks rise but gains pared after UK GDP data
23rd Dec 2014 11:56
UK stocks rose again on Tuesday as the pre-Christmas rally continued, though gains were trimmed by lunchtime after some disappointing data. On a day lacking of corporate news, investors were also showing caution ahead of a flurry of economic indicators Stateside. Stock futures on Wall Street were on
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