London afternoon: Blue chips hang onto gains
5th Aug 2009 14:27
Footsie is holding its own in the afternoon session with Lloyds soaring despite a massive interim loss. US shares have made a dull start on worse than expected job losses in July according to the private firm ADP. It said 371,000 people were laid-off compared to estimates of 350,000. The survey is
Read moreBroker tips: Carpetright, BSkyB, Premier Foods
5th Aug 2009 13:15
A return to like-for-like sales growth at Carpetright's UK operations has prompted broker KBC Peel Hunt to place its price target on the carpet retailer under review. Shares in Carpetright jumped after it said total sales in the UK and Ireland climbed by 7.5%, while like-for-like sales were up an '
Read moreBroker snap: Carpetright sales growth prompts KBC reappraisal
5th Aug 2009 11:56
A return to like-for-like sales growth at Carpetright's UK operations has prompted broker KBC Peel Hunt to place its price target on the carpet retailer under review. Shares in Carpetright jumped after it said total sales in the UK and Ireland climbed by 7.5%, while like-for-like sales were up an '
Read moreLondon midday: Lloyds pulls Footsie higher
5th Aug 2009 11:24
Footsie is in the blue now as financials push ahead again on the back of Lloyds Banking, which is motoring forward. Lloyds Banking shares are up over 13% as investors bet that the worst of the bad debts that caused an underlying loss of £4bn in the half year to June are passed. Impairment charges
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Carpetright jumps as UK sales grow
5th Aug 2009 10:15
Carpet retailer Carpetright is the top riser in the FTSE 250 after it posted a rise in like-for-like sales in UK and Ireland in the 13 weeks to August 1. Ferrexpo saw profits slide 82% in the half of the year as commodity prices tumbled but the Ukrainian iron ore producer said it was seeing signs o
Read moreLondon open: Lloyds gives market a boost
5th Aug 2009 08:39
Footsie has shrugged off a host of ex-dividends to move gently ahead with Lloyds and British Airways leading the way. Lloyds Banking posted an underlying loss of £4bn in the half year to June as impairment charges jumped by nearly £11bn to £13.4bn reflecting huge write-downs of HBOS's commercial pr
Read moreLondon pre-open: Lower start expected
5th Aug 2009 07:48
Footsie is expected to add to yesterday's losses as the stream of results from banks and insurers continues. Lloyds Banking posted an underlying loss of £4bn in the half year to June as impairment charges jumped by nearly £11bn to £13.4bn reflecting huge write-downs of HBOS's commercial property lo
Read moreSurprise sales hike lifts Carpetright
5th Aug 2009 07:02
Shares in Carpetright have jumped after the carpet retailer posted a surprise rise in like-for-like sales in UK and Ireland in the 13 weeks to August 1. In the UK and Ireland, total sales climbed by 7.5%, while like-for-like sales were up an 'encouraging' 1.4%. Analysts had been expecting a fall i
Read moreWednesday preview: All about Lloyds Banking
4th Aug 2009 12:34
Part-nationalised bank Lloyds Banking will dominate the headlines tomorrow morning. Rivals Barclays and HSBC have done well this week after their figures. Lloyds will receive less of a lift from the revival in capital markets, focused as it is on the retail market, even so the bank is tipped to an
Read moreWednesday tips round-up: BG, Carpetright, Reed Elsevier
1st Jul 2009 06:45
BG is regarded as a perennial bid target, but it is the growth prospects of the group in Australian LNG, its assets in offshore Brazil and now US shale gas that are the real reasons to own the shares. The shares are trading on a December 2009 earnings multiple of 14.3 times, falling to 12.6 in 201
Read moreLondon close: US economic data hits Footsie
30th Jun 2009 16:26
It looked like another flat day for the FTSE 100 heading into the second half of the year until shares took a sharp dive following some unappetizing economic date in the US. The US Conference Board's index of consumer sentiment fell to 49.3 in June, down from a revised 54.8 in May. Economists had b
Read moreLondon afternoon: Prices drift lower
30th Jun 2009 15:24
London continues to sleepwalk to the end of the month, with prices drifting lower in light trading after Wall Street opened in negative territory. With the oil futures contract edging steadily higher, heavy fuel users such as airline British Airways and cruise operator Carnival are on the slide. I
Read moreLondon midday: Marking time
30th Jun 2009 12:10
Leading equities are treading water on the last day of the month, quarter and half-year. Wolseley is one of the best performers after chief executive Chip Hornsby stepped down with immediate effect to let Ian Meakins take the helm at the building supplies group. Hornsby, who leaves after 27 years
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Yell refinancing talks spook investors
30th Jun 2009 10:54
Shares in Yell have fallen 10% after the Yellow Pages publisher said it has started talks with its banks over a comprehensive refinancing, adding that trading in the second quarter of this year took another lurch downwards. Carpetright is down after it slashed its final dividend as profits tumbled
Read moreLondon open: Blue chips head south
30th Jun 2009 08:54
London has opened lower despite a good showing on Wall Street overnight and interest in the banks this morning. Wolseley is the best performer as chief executive Chip Hornsby has stepped down with immediate effect to let Ian Meakins take the helm at the building supplies group. Hornsby, who leaves
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