London open: Stocks rise modestly amid Greek talks, UK economic data
17th Apr 2015 08:35
Stocks in London advanced on Friday morning on a quiet day for corporate newsflow, with investors awaiting key employment data from the UK while digesting Greek debt talks. "The FTSE opened the day on the positive side of flat, after yesterday afternoon's [...] declines pulled the index away from it
Read moreLondon open: LSE and Easyjet lead stocks lower, oil prices spike
26th Mar 2015 08:55
UK stocks dropped sharply on Thursday morning following a steep sell-off on Wall Street, with financial and airline shares providing a drag. The FTSE 100 was down 1% at 6,919.49 early on as it continues to pull back from the fresh all-time closing high of 7,037.67 reached on Monday. The London Stoc
Read moreLondon close: FTSE ekes out new record despite Greek uncertainty
23rd Mar 2015 17:19
After a subdued start, the Footsie managed to edge higher to a new record on Monday though worries about Greece limited upside for London's stocks. The FTSE 100 finished the session up 0.22% at 7,037.67, surpassing the previous all-time closing high of 7,022.51 set on Friday. Stocks on the continen
Read moreMonday broker round-up
23rd Mar 2015 13:51
RBS: Nomura reiterates buy and lowers target to 350p from 370p. WPP: Westhouse Securities reiterates add lifts target to 1732p from 1577p. HSBC: Nomura reiterates neutral and shaves target to 590p. StanChart: JP Morgan upgrades to overweight. Citi reiterates buy and lifts target to 1300p from 1250
Read moreBroker tips: Standard Chartered, Carnival, Smith & Nephew, Weir
23rd Mar 2015 12:24
UK listed bank Standard Chartered has had its rating promoted to 'overweight' from 'neutral' at JPMorgan. The US bank said that although it is hesitant to change its view for the arrival of the new chief executive which has been a material positive, "we believe that last week's UK budget may lead th
Read moreWeir Group hit by RBC downgrade, risk-reward now balanced
23rd Mar 2015 10:38
Shares in Weir Group were being weighed down on Monday by a ratings cut at RBC Capital Markets, which said that the risk-reward for new investors is now balanced. The broker lowered its stance on the engineering outfit from 'top pick' to 'sector perform' and slashed its target price from 2,150p to 1
Read moreThursday broker round-up
19th Mar 2015 15:59
Smiths Group: Charles Stanley downgrades to reduce while Nomura reiterates buy recommendation. Weir Group: Barclays reiterates equalweight and 1,700p target. Prudential: Barclays reiterates overweight and lifts target to 1,868p. Serco: Jefferies reiterates hold but trims target to 185p from 195p.
Read moreLondon close: Stocks retreat as Fed rate fears outweigh ECB stimulus
6th Mar 2015 16:36
One day after loose monetary policy in Europe pushed UK stocks to a new record high, fears about a sooner-than-expected tightening in the States dragged markets lower on Friday after a forecast-smashing US jobs report. Mining stocks were providing a drag in London as commodity prices weakened in the
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Weir Group up on bid speculation, Miners lower on weak precious metal prices
6th Mar 2015 12:46
Shares in British engineering giant Weir Group rose on the back of market chatter that a cash-rich private equity consortium in the US is looking to table a 2,500p per share break-up offer for the group, compared with current prices at around 1,800p. ITV continued higher on Thursday's raised price t
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE pulls back from record highs ahead of US jobs data
6th Mar 2015 11:36
UK stocks were lower on Friday morning but trading within a narrow range with investors cautious ahead of the all-important US non-farm jobs report. Markets were also trading near never-before-seen heights, giving participants an extra reason to tread lightly in London. The FTSE 100 was down 0.12%
Read moreLondon 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
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