London midday: Markets welcome fiscal cliff deal with two per cent surge
2nd Jan 2013 11:40
- US leaders pass budget deal to avert fiscal cliff - Mining and banking stocks celebrate with decent performance - UK manufacturing ends 2012 on a high Mining stocks were registering impressive gains on Wednesday in the aftermath of the US fiscal cliff agreement, which could have plunged the world
Read moreBabcock buys LGE Process from Weir
2nd Jan 2013 08:45
Babcock International Group, the FTSE 100 engineering support services company, has acquired LGE Process, which designs and builds plants for the processing, storage and handling of liquid gases, from index peer Weir Group. LGE, which has been acquired for £23m, will be integrated into Babcock's D
Read moreLondon open: Fiscal cliff deal ignites risk appetite
2nd Jan 2013 08:21
The FTSE 100 surged on Wednesday morning as investors celebrated the news that the fiscal cliff deal Stateside, with mining and banking stocks benefitting from the increase in risk appetite. "It may have come at the last minute, but US lawmakers finally managed to find some common ground by voting
Read moreFriday tips round-up: Weir Group, Igas Energy, Gulfsands
21st Dec 2012 07:04
Weir Group still looks like a good long-term bet on a growth industry, writes the Times´s tempus column this morning. The market earlier this year had its concerns over Weir's exposure to shale. Over the past 13 months the company invested a total of almost $1.1bn on equipment that serves the US sha
Read moreLondon close: Stocks finish flat on US budget uncertainty
20th Dec 2012 16:52
The FTSE 100 index finished broadly flat on Thursday afternoon, taking a pause of two days of decent gains, with the focus remaining on the US 'fiscal cliff' ahead of the Christmas holiday. Even a positive surprise in US gross domestic product (GDP) failed to give markets a boost. The American econ
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Carnival drops after full-year revenue decline
20th Dec 2012 15:25
Carnival , the largest cruise company in the world, reported a fall in full-year revenues after what it called its most challenging year ever. Shares dropped nearly 6% on Thursday afternoon after the company reported that revenue came in at $15.4bn, down from $15.8bn previously. Leading the risers
Read moreBroker tips: Vodafone, Serco, Weir
20th Dec 2012 12:09
Nomura has kept its 'neutral' rating for telecoms group Vodafone, saying that the higher-than-expected costs from last week's Dutch spectrum auction raise more questions of the company's 'inflated' dividend. "Paying an inflated ordinary dividend has been discredited as a way to reward shareholders,
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks pause on 'fiscal cliff' concerns
20th Dec 2012 11:54
UK stocks traded broadly sideways on Thursday morning with 'fiscal cliff' uncertainty dashing hopes that a deal between US politicians can be struck before Christmas. Trade was cautious in London this morning with just 14 points separating the Footsie's intraday low and high. Stocks finished sligh
Read moreBroker snap: Mathena acquisition fits in nicely at Weir, says Investec
20th Dec 2012 09:26
Investec has raised its target price for engineering group Weir from 2,020p to 2,100p and reiterated its 'buy' rating for the stock, following Thursday's announcement that it is set to acquire pressure control provider Mathena. "This acquisition fits in nicely with Seaboard and diversifies Oil & G
Read moreLondon open: Stocks flat on 'fiscal cliff' uncertainty
20th Dec 2012 08:33
The FTSE 100 was trading little changed on Thursday morning, taking a pause after coming close to its 52-week high the day before, with US 'fiscal cliff' concerns acting as a drag on sentiment. "In scenes reminiscent of the debt ceiling debacle of 2011 US markets slid back last night as the impasse
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks to pull back on 'fiscal cliff' concerns
20th Dec 2012 07:28
Stocks are expected to pull back slightly on Thursday morning following two days of decent gains with concerns resurfacing over the US 'fiscal cliff' after the White House vetoed the Republicans' 'Plan B'. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open down 13 points from yesterday's close of 5,962.
Read moreWeir increases shale exposure with acquisition of Mathena
20th Dec 2012 07:05
Engineering solutions group Weir is to buy pressure control rental equipment firm Mathena as it attempts to up its exposure to the fast-growing shale oil and gas market. Mathena, which makes a range of pressure control products including hydraulic chokes, mud-gas and shale-gas separators for the fo
Read moreWednesday Broker round-up UPDATE
14th Nov 2012 07:24
Anglo American: Deutsche Bank reduces target price from 2700p to 2600p, buy recommendation unchanged. Chemring: Credit Suisse reduces target price from 330p to 210p, neutral rating kept. CRH: UBS raises target price from 1110p to 1140p, neutral rating unchanged. Daily Mail and General Trust: Deut
Read moreWednesday broker round-up
7th Nov 2012 08:59
3Leg Resources: Jefferies keeps buy rating and 100p target AB Foods: Barclays Capital ups target from 1,375p to 1,475p, overweigh rating kept; Nomura ups target from 1,380p to 1,500p, buy rating kept. Aberdeen: UBS ups target from 340p to 370p, buy rating kept. Babcock: Jefferies ups target from
Read moreTuesday broker round-up
6th Nov 2012 09:03
AB Foods: Jefferies keeps hold rating and 1,365p target; Panmure Gordon ups target from 1,300p to 1,450p, hold rating kept; Investec keeps hold rating and 1,300p target. Aviva: Panmure Gordon maintains buy rating and 425p target. Babcock: Jefferies keeps buy rating and 970p target; Seymour Pierce
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