London midday: Corporate earnings weigh on stocks ahead of Fed minutes
20th Aug 2013 11:41
A number of poorly-received results from blue-chip companies and ongoing concerns about the future of US stimulus weighed heavily on markets on Tuesday morning, dragging the FTSE 100 to levels not seen in over six weeks. London's benchmark index reached an intraday low of around 6,400 early on befo
Read moreLondon open: Stocks at six-week low as earnings disappoint
20th Aug 2013 08:21
Heavy falls from Wood Group, CRH and a host of miners were weighing on the FTSE 100 in early trading on Tuesday, pushing the index to levels not seen in over six weeks. London's benchmark index sunk by around 0.8% this morning, heading towards the 6,400 mark; the last time it closed lower was on Ju
Read moreLondon pre-open: Weak start expected as eyes turn to Fed minutes
20th Aug 2013 07:30
Ongoing concerns over the Federal Reserve's impending withdrawal of quantitative easing are expected to weigh on markets again on Tuesday morning. With the economic data schedule looking pretty empty for the second day in a row, all eyes are expected to focus on the Fed ahead of the minutes of its
Read moreWood Group warns of weakening demand from Canada
20th Aug 2013 07:13
Oil and gas services company Wood Group warned that weakening demand from operations in Canada and project delays will weigh on full year earnings growth, continuing into 2014. "Our business in Western Canada, which represents just over 5% of divisional revenue, has weakened further and we do not e
Read moreSector movers: M&A activity boosts oil-services sector, Kentz jumps
19th Aug 2013 15:59
Two rejected takeover proposals for Kentz Corporation gave London's oil services sector a lift on Monday, with the FTSE 250 constituent rising by as much as a quarter in afternoon trade in the hope that this could signal the start of a bidding war. Kentz rocketed after saying that it has rebuffed a
Read moreLondon close: Footsie gains on upbeat data, Fresnillo jumps
13th Aug 2013 16:57
Upbeat data from home and abroad gave the FTSE 100 a lift on Tuesday, with precious metals group Fresnillo leading the heavyweight mining sector higher in London. Markets briefly dipped into negative territory in afternoon trade after US retail sales came in slightly below expectations, though a la
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Fresnillo, Wood Group, G4S
13th Aug 2013 13:00
Fresnillo's shares surged after UBS rated its stocks a 'buy', saying it was well placed to handle the volatility of gold and silver prices by keeping costs down and generating free cash flow. Wood Group rallied after Investec raised its target price to 900p from 800p, noting the company's strong p
Read moreWood Group renews agreement with Dana Petroleum
6th Aug 2013 08:49
Wood Group PSN (WGPSN) has retained its contract with Dana Petroleum for integrated support services (ISC) in the North Sea for a period of two years with the option of a one-year extension. The contract is estimated to be worth up to $60m (£40m) per year. Under the agreement, WGPSN will continue
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks hold on to gains before US jobs report
5th Jul 2013 12:00
The FTSE 100 was holding at a one-month high on Friday morning as investors awaited the US jobs report this afternoon which could spark a volatile reaction on stock markets worldwide. US futures were pointing to a strong start on Wall Street today, though volumes were on the light side as traders r
Read moreLondon open: Stocks at one-month high ahead of US jobs report
5th Jul 2013 08:42
Stocks were performing well on Friday morning, pushing the FTSE 100 to a one-month high ahead of the eagerly-anticipated US jobs report later on. London's benchmark index was building on its massive gains the day before, after jumping 3.1% on the back of dovish comments by the Bank of England and E
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks rise as BoE holds fire, markets eye ECB
4th Jul 2013 11:28
The FTSE 100 issued decent gains on Thursday morning, taking advantage of expected low volumes on the back of the Independence Day holiday in the States, with all eyes on central banks in the UK and Europe in the absence of any major economic data today. As expected, the Bank of England (BoE) stood
Read moreLondon open: Stocks rise as eyes turn to BoE, ECB
4th Jul 2013 08:25
The FTSE 100 rebounded strongly on Thursday morning after a sell-off the day before, as traders took advantage of thin volumes with markets in the States shut for Independence Day. The Bank of England (BoE) and European Central Bank (ECB) policy decisions will be in focus today with little economic
Read moreLondon pre-open: Strong start expected ahead of central-bank meetings
4th Jul 2013 07:50
Markets are expected to open firmly higher on Thursday morning ahead of a busy day for investors, with central-bank policy decisions from the Bank of England and European Central Bank in focus. However, volumes are expected to be light with US markets closed for the Independence Day holiday and ris
Read moreWood Group wins contract extension with Nexen
4th Jul 2013 07:20
Wood Group has secured its sixth major North Sea contract extension this year. Its subsidiary Wood Group PSN (WGPSN) has won a three-year contract from Nexen Petroleum UK to deliver operations, maintenance and technical support services to the Scott and Buzzard platforms. The group will also prov
Read moreWood Group acquires Pyeroy Group
3rd Jul 2013 07:26
Wood Group has acquired Pyeroy Group, a provider of specialist coatings, access and fabric maintenance services to the oil and gas, marine and rail industries. The FTSE 100 company said Pyeroy has an excellent track record of growth and will complement Wood Group's existing services in offshore bro
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