Week ahead: US GDP, Mitchells & Butlers, Severn Trent...
19th Nov 2010 15:22
Pubs group Mitchells & Butlers' recent nine week trading update highlighted a 3.6% like-for-like sales improvement on last year. Food sales were, as usual, the driver of growth but even the "wet" side of the business saw a pick-up. Brokers now expect the All Bar One and Harvester owner to post pro
Read moreLondon close: Shares fall back amid global worries
10th Nov 2010 16:34
Footsie was posting substantial losses by trading's close as losses in the mining sector cancelled out any optimism engendered by company updates. As usual, it was global economic concerns that weighed on the mining sector. US stocks are under pressure amid worries over China's efforts to curb infl
Read moreLondon afternoon: BAE takes off
10th Nov 2010 15:10
Mining stocks are dragging London lower as copper and precious metal prices come off the boil. Kazakhmys, Lonmin and ENRC are the worst performers while precious metals miners Randgold and Fresnillo fare little better. BAE Systems is the best performing blue-chip after holding an investor day ye
Read moreLondon midday: Footsie slips back as miners give up gains
10th Nov 2010 12:03
Company updates have been given a mixed reception, but a retreat in the mining sector has Footsie in the red. Miners are weak after as profit takers cover some of their gains after the new highs for gold and silver yesterday. Gold miner Randgold and platinum group Lonmin are the worst performers.
Read moreLondon open: Slow start after mixed results
10th Nov 2010 08:54
London has made a slow start with miners running into profit taking after their good run and a mixed response to the latest slug of trading updates. Sainsbury's made enough money to keep analysts happy during the first half though and sales were pretty much as expected given the supermarket giant u
Read moreLondon pre-open: Footsie to fall
10th Nov 2010 07:34
It's looking like another dreary start Wednesday, with last night's surrender on Wall Street dampening the mood in the City. Futures prices point to an early 15-point drop for London's leading index. Sainsbury's made enough money to keep analysts happy during the first half though and sales were p
Read moreWPP buys US database firm
10th Nov 2010 07:18
Advertising agency WPP has bought I-Behavior, a US consumer and business transaction data firm. I-Behavior is a privately-held database marketing business which provides direct marketing services to multi-channel merchants, based on consumer purchase transaction data. which includes over 8 billion
Read moreLondon close: Footsie takes small step back
29th Oct 2010 17:24
The movements of the FTSE 100 index appeared to be directed by a lackadaisical Grand Old Duke of York today, and the blue-chip index finished (more or less) neither up nor down. British Airways was lower even though it swung to a profit in the first half as the airline improved yields and cut costs
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie returns to blue
29th Oct 2010 15:15
London has finally pulled itself back into the blue helped by a solid start on Wall Street after GDP numbers disappointed slightly. Over here, GfK NOP's consumer confidence index improved to -19 in October, confounding economists' expectations of a slide to -22 or even lower. The survey was taken b
Read moreLondon midday: Miners pull index lower
29th Oct 2010 11:52
Weak miners and a poor reception to results from British Airways have discouraged buyers generally, despite some encouraging news on the consumer confidence front. GfK NOP's consumer confidence index improved to -19 in October, confounding economists' expectations of a slide to -22 or even lower. T
Read moreLondon open: Slow progress for blue chips
29th Oct 2010 08:42
London has made modest early gains despite a poor session in Asia and unconvincing display on Wall Street overnight. British Airways is lower even though it swung to a profit in the first half as the airline improved yields and cut costs. It made a pre-tax profit of £158m in the six months ended 30
Read moreLondon pre-open: Weakness overseas to weigh
29th Oct 2010 07:36
A poor session in Asia this morning and unconvincing display on Wall Street overnight aren't going to help London on Friday it seems. The blue chip index is set to open down around 12 points, with the Japanese Nikkei losing 2% after some disappointing earnings and on worries about next week's US Fe
Read moreWPP ups growth estimate as sales surge 12%
29th Oct 2010 07:26
Ad agency WPP upped like-for-like revenues by 4.1% in the first nine months of its current year as companies restarted advertising spending after the recession with traditional ad spending outstripping online. Total revenue rose by 6.3% to £6.69bn with third quarter sales up 12.2% to £2.3bn. Opera
Read moreLondon close: Bad day ends badly
27th Oct 2010 16:12
London ended the day heavily in the red as a triple-digit fall on Wall Street knocked an attempted rally by Footsie firmly on the head. Reports suggesting that any new stimulus in the US will be smaller than expected hit the miners with Kazakhmys, Xstrata and Rio Tinto the worst performers. Britis
Read moreLondon afternoon: Rally fizzles out
27th Oct 2010 14:23
Expectations of a weak opening on Wall Street put an end to London's attempt to move into positive territory, and losses lengthened again over the lunch time session. Reports suggesting that any new stimulus in the US will be smaller than expected have knocked the miners with Kazakhmys, Xstrata and
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