Tuesday preview: Whitbread, Bellway, Booker
12th Oct 2009 15:16
It's been a bad year for hotel operators but last week's better than expected third quarter figures from US group Marriott Hotels suggested things are starting to pick up. The share price of Whitbread, which owns the Premier Inn hotel chain, got a lift from its US peer's results, adding to the sha
Read moreLondon close: Flat finish for sluggish Footsie
9th Oct 2009 16:31
Footsie ended the week without any real sense of direction, holding onto gains posted earlier in the week. Vedanta Resources was the weakest stock in a soft mining sector after Goldman Sachs said Vedanta's aluminium, zinc and iron ore facilities were lower than Goldman had expected. Lower industri
Read moreLondon afternoon: Vedanta leads miners lower
9th Oct 2009 14:29
Mining stocks remain a proverbial albatross round the market's neck, dragging the Footsie below last night's closing level despite some interest in consumer stocks. Vedanta Resources is the weakest stock in a soft mining sector after Goldman Sachs said Vedanta's aluminium, zinc and iron ore facilit
Read moreFTSE 100 movers; Vedanta leads miners lower
9th Oct 2009 13:38
Vedanta Resources is the weakest stock in a soft mining sector after Goldman Sachs said Vedanta's volumes through its aluminium, zinc and iron ore facilities were lower than expected. Lower industrial metals prices also drag down Antofagasta, ENRC and Anglo American, while gold's pull back from it
Read moreBroker tips: Whitbread, Marston's
9th Oct 2009 13:12
Better than expected results from US rival Marriott and a ratings upgrade from Barclays Capital gave a boost to hotels and coffee bar group Whitbread Friday morning. BarCap has upgraded the stock from 'underweight' to 'overweight' ahead of Whitbread's interim results on October 13. 'We believe tha
Read moreLondon midday: Flat morning for Footsie
9th Oct 2009 12:05
London ended the morning session flat with good demand for consumer stocks offsetting some profit taking among mining shares Losses on mining stocks such as Antofagasta, Vedanta and Kazakhmys have lengthened during the session as metal prices remain on a downward trajectory. Gold has fallen back f
Read moreWeek Ahead: Whitbread, Punch Taverns, Burberry
9th Oct 2009 11:26
What might loosely be termed 'the night out' sector is well represented in next week's results with pub group Punch Taverns and hotels, pub restaurants and coffee bars group Whitbread both making announcements. Heavily indebted pub group Punch Taverns said back in August that trading results contin
Read moreBroker snap: Marriott read across boosts Whitbread
9th Oct 2009 11:24
Better than expected results from US rival Marriott and a ratings upgrade from Barclays Capital gave a boost to hotels and coffee bar group Whitbread Friday morning. BarCap has upgraded the stock from 'underweight' to 'overweight' ahead of Whitbread's interim results on October 13. 'We believe tha
Read moreLondon open: Consumers help Footsie progress
9th Oct 2009 08:45
Footsie has shrugged off some profit taking among the miners and more bank weakness to open higher, with consumer stocks leading the way. Gains for Whitbread, Kingfisher and Next are helping Footsie push on despite Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland. Both state-controlled banks have been unsettled b
Read moreTrio take place in top index
18th Sep 2009 17:33
Balfour Beatty, Pennon and Foreign & Colonial Investment Trust spent their last day in London's premier league Friday as demotion to the FTSE 250 comes into effect tonight. The latest quarterly reshuffle, based on closing share prices two weeks ago, sees pest control firm Rentokil Initial, hotel an
Read moreLondon close: Investors still hungry for equities
7th Sep 2009 16:34
Massive gains at bid target Cadbury and a good result from the weekend's G20 meeting helped London's leading index to a new 11-month closing high on Monday. Dairy Milk firm Cadbury surged ahead following a proposed offer from Dairylea cheese and Toblerone firm Kraft of 300p a share and 0.2589 Kraft
Read moreLondon afternoon: Blue chips post big gains
7th Sep 2009 13:58
London's blue chips continue to rise as talk of a new bidder for Cadbury keeps its shares bubbling following a rejection of a £10.2bn offer from Kraft. Kraft, whose brands include Dairylea cheese and Toblerone chocolates, said its proposed offer of 300p a share and 0.2589 Kraft shares for every Cad
Read moreLondon midday: Cadbury powers Footsie surge
7th Sep 2009 12:16
Footsie is still going strong as shares in chocolate maker Cadbury rush ahead following its rejection of a £10.2bn offer from Kraft. Cadbury has rejected the proposal. Kraft, whose brands include Dairylea cheese and Toblerone chocolates, said its proposed offer of 300p a share and 0.2589 Kraft shar
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Whitbread in the lead
7th Sep 2009 11:31
Leisure group Whitbread expects profits this year to be at the higher end of forecasts as the rate of decline at hotel chain Premier Inns steadied in the three months to 13 August, while coffee chain Costa continued to push ahead. Cheery broker sentiment boosts Sports Direct. Numis, which thinks ne
Read moreLondon open: Cadbury offer boosts Footsie
7th Sep 2009 08:47
London has opened sharply higher with the merger proposal for Cadbury from Kraft the major talking point. Chocolate maker Cadbury has rejected the proposal. Kraft, whose brands include Dairylea cheese and Toblerone chocolates, said its proposed offer of 300p a share and 0.2589 Kraft shares for ever
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