Sector movers: Vodafone lifts telecoms, oil stocks drop
20th Jan 2012 17:07
Vodafone was lifting the mobile telecommunications sector higher today. The telecoms titan rose on reports that the Indian Supreme Court has overturned an earlier tax-ruling against it from a lower court. The long-running battle centres around a $2.5bn (£1.3bn) tax bill relating to its 67% intere
Read moreLondon close: Oil stocks weigh on FTSE 100
20th Jan 2012 17:03
- Oil stocks track prices lower. - Chinese manufacturing disappoints. - Greek talks ongoing, sides close to a deal. UK stocks finished Friday's session down an average 0.2% with oil stocks providing a drag on the FTSE 100, tracking oil prices lower. The blue chip index swung between gains and loss
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: RBS up on news of ECB loan
20th Jan 2012 14:05
Shares in RBS rose on news the part-nationalised lender, which is 84% owned by taxpayers, last month borrowed emergency funds offered by the European Central Bank through its long-term refinancing operations (LTRO). It means that the lender can avoid the need to sell-off assets to meet heightened sh
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie unchanged, RBS leads risers
20th Jan 2012 11:57
- Greek talks still in progress. - RBS taps ECB emergency facility. - Vodafone up on Indian tax ruling. The Footsie was rather flat at midday, after swinging between gains and losses in the mid-morning session. Neverthess, the blue chip index was trading within a narrow range with just 26 points se
Read moreLondon close: Financials lead the way higher
15th Dec 2011 16:56
Footsie limped back above the 5,400 level in thin trade, with financial stocks leading the way. OLD MUTUAL SURGES AFTER DISPOSAL South African savings and insurance group Old Mutual was the best performing blue-chip after announcing that it is to sell its Nordic business Skandia AB for £2.1bn in
Read moreFTSE 100 Movers: Old Mutual jumps into first place
15th Dec 2011 14:36
Old Mutual, the savings and investment group, leapt into the top spot on news it is to sell its Nordic business Skandia AB for £2.1bn in an effort to "reduce complexity" and pay down debt. The deal, which still needs regulatory and shareholder approval, is expected to complete during the first quar
Read moreLondon midday: Old Mutual and miners provide a lift
15th Dec 2011 11:46
The Footsie held on to gains by lunchtime, breaking through the 5,400 level, with strong gains for Old Mutual and the miners lifted London's blue chip index 0.6% higher. In domestic news, the volume of UK retail sales fell by 0.4% in November compared to the month before, according to the latest da
Read moreLondon open: Footsie nudges higher, Old Mutual rockets
15th Dec 2011 08:25
The Footsie opened moderately higher on Thursday morning, as the market attempts to claw back from yesterday's 2.25% sell-off. In economic news, the HSBC "flash" purchasing managers' index for the Chinese manufacturing sector rose to 49.0 in December from 47.7 the month before, according to the la
Read moreWeir completes Seaboard acquisition
15th Dec 2011 07:12
The Weir Group, a FTSE 100 listed industrial engineer, has completed the acquisition of the wellhead solutions provider Seaboard Holdings for $675m. The transaction was paid in cash and funded from new and existing bank facilities. For the year to 31 December 2011, Seaboard is forecast to achiev
Read moreLondon close: Merkel comments weigh, Footsie pares gains
13th Dec 2011 16:21
London's blue chip index experienced a boost on Tuesday afternoon, helped by a strong Spanish bond auction and a better-than-expected German confidence survey. However, stocks began to retreat late on after some worrying comments from Angela Merkel and rumours of disruption to oil exports in the Per
Read moreBroker tips: Weir, Drax, Marston's
30th Nov 2011 12:17
UBS has raised its target price for industrial engineer Weir from 2,400p to 2,500p, saying that comments from US peer Halliburton have made it much more optimistic. At last week's Reverse Energy Roadshow in Houston, Halliburton said that it expects the pressure pumping industry to raise capacity by
Read moreBroker snap: UBS raises target for Weir
30th Nov 2011 11:13
UBS has raised its target price for industrial engineer Weir from 2,400p to 2,500p, saying that comments from US peer Halliburton have made it much more optimistic. At last week's Reverse Energy Roadshow in Houston, Halliburton said that it expects the pressure pumping industry to raise capacity by
Read moreWednesday broker round-up - UPDATE
30th Nov 2011 09:42
Weir: UBS increases target from 2,400p to 2,500p, buy rating kept. BG Group: Nomura ups target from 1,750p to 1,850p, buy rating unchanged. BHP Billiton: Investec reiterates buy rating and 1,919p target. International Power: Nomura cuts target from 410p to 390p, buy recommendation kept. Sage: In
Read moreLondon close: Footsie rises above 5,300
28th Nov 2011 17:29
Footsie stormed above 5,200 in trading and kept on going, finishing north of 5,300 on hopes that tomorrow's meeting of Eurozone finance ministers in Brussels will be the occasion on which a number of new measured, aimed at getting to grips with the region's debt problems, will be announced. Banks w
Read moreMonday broker round-up
28th Nov 2011 10:52
Burberry: UBS keeps at neutral, cuts target to 1,250p from 1,450p BHP Billiton: Nomura reinitiates coverage at buy; raises target to 2,500p from 2,400p. Rio Tinto: Nomura reinitiates coverage at buy; establishes a target of 97p. Xstrata: Nomura keeps at buy; cuts target to 1,500p from 2,200p. EN
Read more