London close: FTSE 100 falls short as turmoil continues
2nd Mar 2011 17:01
Shares fought valiantly to finish in the blue but fell short as worries over the turmoil in the Middle East continued to cast a shadow. Gold moved above $1,436 to a record high as traders sought safe investments amid turbulent times. The oil price stayed strong having risen above $100 in New York.
Read moreLondon afternoon: Footsie narrows deficit
2nd Mar 2011 15:45
An improvement on Wall Street has lifted the mood in London, although prices are still under pressure following a mixed reaction to today's batch of results. Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered posted profits bang in line with forecasts at $6.12bn for 2010, while this year got off to a flying sta
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Standard Chartered meets expectations
2nd Mar 2011 14:09
Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered reported profits in line with forecasts at $6.12bn. This year has got off to a flying start, with the group enjoying a record January, both in terms of income and profit. Outsourcer Serco says that it foresees "headwinds" in 2011 as the government's austerity
Read moreLondon midday: Shares in partial recovery
2nd Mar 2011 12:30
Shares have moved back towards positive territory after a difficult start, with the Middle East turmoil still casting a shadow. Company updates have been given a mixed reception. The price of a barrel of oil traded above $100 a barrel as the fighting continues in Libya. Latest reports say forces lo
Read moreLondon open: Subdued start as Libya weighs
2nd Mar 2011 08:49
Blue chips have made a subdued start with the ongoing situation in the Middle East/North Africa and possible impact on oil prices weighing heavy. Some shares are making progress. Profits in 2010 from Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered were bang in line with forecasts at $6.12bn, while 2011 got of
Read moreLondon pre-open: London to carry on swooning
2nd Mar 2011 07:38
After experiencing a late dive yesterday share prices in London look set to wilt again at the outset, with City traders predicting the blue-chip index will open around 50 points easier. Profits in 2010 from Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered were bang in line with forecasts at $6.12bn, while 2011
Read moreWhitbread splashes £60m on Coffee Nation
2nd Mar 2011 07:13
Revenue growth at hotel, coffee shops and pubs group Whitbread slowed sharply in the past four months, though it still made steady headway. The group also unveiled a major expansion of its Costa chain with the acquisition of Coffee Nation for £59.5m and a new brand, Costa Express which will target
Read moreNational Grid boss buys more shares
2nd Feb 2011 17:27
National Grid's chairman Sir John Parker today spent nearly £110,000 building up his stake in the power and gas grid operator. He bought 20,000 shares at 549.5p a time and now has 134,712. National Grid said that its operating profit is "significantly ahead of last year" in its trading statement f
Read moreWhitbread seats Kingfisher chief on board
27th Jan 2011 17:30
Hotel and restaurant owner Whitbread has brought in the boss of Kingfisher as a non-executive director to replace Philip Clarke who's leaving to run Tesco. Ian Cheshire joins the board of the Costa Coffee and Premier Inn firm at the beginning of February, a month before Clarke takes over from Sir T
Read moreFTSE 100 movers: Banks turn lower
24th Jan 2011 12:50
RBS and Lloyds are both lower after comments by the head of the Independent Banking Commission over stricter capital rules and the possible separation of the retail and investment bank arms. The political problems in Ireland have also unsettled financials. Goldman Sachs has downgraded engineer In
Read moreSunday newspaper round-up: JJB Sports, Royal Mail, Bank bonuses...
2nd Jan 2011 16:43
JJB Sports is drawing up plans to tap shareholders for a second injection of cash as struggling retailers prepare for a tough year on the high street. The troubled sportswear chain is expected to ask investors to contribute up to £50m in the next few months on top of the £31.5m pledged in an emerge
Read moreBroker tips: SuperGroup, Whitbread, Talvivaara
15th Dec 2010 14:47
Super cool clothing group SuperGroup has been placed under review by Peel Hunt as no current trading update was provided with the interim results. The group traded well "on all fronts," adds Stevenson, delivering a 71.7% increase in retail sales with earnings before interest and tax margins rising
Read moreBroker snap: Whitbread upgraded after strong sales
15th Dec 2010 12:14
Nomura has raised its earnings forecast for leisure group Whitbread by 5% as the broker expects its positive operating momentum to continue. The hotel and restaurant owner reported a 9% increase in revenue per available room (revpar) at its Premier Inn chain, compared with the broker's 7% forecast,
Read moreLondon close: Highest finish for FTSE 100 since 2008
14th Dec 2010 16:38
London's leading share index finished at its highest closing level in more than two years as buoyancy in the US helped shake Footsie out of its early sluggishness. Better than expected retail sales in the world's biggest economy in November heartened traders. Here, it was company updates that sen
Read moreLondon afternoon: Shares clinging on after US open
14th Dec 2010 15:26
Shares have crept higher after a decent start on Wall Street, but the gains are modest amid a mixed reception for company updates. Whitbread, the company behind Costa Coffee and the Premier Inn hotel chain, posted another strong set of numbers though there were a few signs of weakness and the share
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