London close: Greek talks bolster late recovery
17th Jun 2011 16:33
As European leaders seemed to come closer to a solution to the Greek crisis, sentiment was lifted across the continent with markets finishing higher across the board. Despite a poor start, London equities got a boost in the late morning period, helping the Footsie back above the 5,700 mark. A strong
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Supergroup recovery provides a boost
17th Jun 2011 16:07
Supergroup is the highest riser of the day, gaining 8% as of 4:00pm on Friday afternoon, recovering after a recent sell-off. Despite being 8% higher today, shares are still 19% lower than they were one month ago. Meanwhile, retail peer Dunelm is the worst performer, losing almost 7%. Electrical co
Read moreLondon close: ENRC leads FTSE 100 slide
10th Jun 2011 16:26
The top share index slid below the 5,800 point mark heading into the weekend. ENRC, the Kazakh resources giant, was nursing heavy losses by the close of play. The company is set to lose a third independent board director according to reports in the Financial Times. The loss of Mehmet Dalman would
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Retailers drop, JD leads the fallers
10th Jun 2011 14:14
Seven of the ten top fallers are from the retail sector, with JD Sports Fashion losing over 6%. The Tempus column in the Times this morning said that, while the sports apparel chain is a more robust business than most on the high street, "with the shares on less than nine times this year's earnings,
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: CSR drops on Nokia concerns
2nd Jun 2011 16:03
CSR, the chipmaking firm, has taken a hit after Numis downgraded the group to 'add', from 'buy', on the back of worrying news from its major customer Nokia this week, which cut its second-quarter outlook. Heading the other way are the retailers, with Sports Direct, Carpetright and Dunelm posting im
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Profit warnings batter Pace's share price
10th May 2011 15:29
The share price of set-top box maker Pace has taken a battering since the company announced its first quarter results on Tuesday morning, in which it lowered its guidance for the full year. The group said costs have been increased by the need to build up inventory levels ahead of schedule to ensur
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: CSR rises after questioning merger
9th May 2011 13:33
Bluetooth chip specialist CSR is the best performer on the FTSE 250 after it questioned the recent results of US merger partner Zoran. The US peer said it is forecasting second quarter sales of $80-85m, down from a previous prediction of between $95-97m, after a disappointing first quarter. CSR said
Read moreLondon open: Retailers advance after updates
14th Apr 2011 08:28
The top share index has moved slightly lower after yesterday's gains but retailers are on the rise as they update the market. Out-of-town home furnishings retailer Dunelm posted a fall in like-for-like sales in the quarter to 2 April and said conditions are likely to remain tough. However, it adde
Read moreDunelm suffers like-for-like sales fall
14th Apr 2011 07:48
Out-of-town home furnishings retailer Dunelm posted a fall in like-for-like sales in the quarter to 2 April and said conditions are likely to remain tough. Like-for-like sales were down by 1.3% during the period, which is in line with the decline experienced in the year so far. Total sales were up
Read moreThursday preview: Rank, Debenhams, Dunelm
13th Apr 2011 16:39
Casino and online betting operator Rank issues a trading statement on Thursday in which it might give more detail on its recent victory over Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC). HMRC is appealing against the decision, which saw the bingo hall operator get a rebate totalling £74.8m, covering ove
Read moreLondon close: Retailers lift Footsie higher
13th Apr 2011 16:08
While the Footsie came off its daily highs, it still managed to post a gain of close to 1% as strong results from ASOS boosted the retail sector higher. Meanwhile, stocks were recovering from the 89 point sell-off yesterday, its worst one-day fall since mid-March. Strong growth overseas helped the
Read moreBroker tips: Berkeley, Dunelm, Betfair
7th Apr 2011 12:21
RBS ups its forecasts for housebuilder Berkeley Group after it highlighted a further step-up in volume momentum. The broker notes that the group's reservation growth rate has risen to 25% year-on-year in the second half, from 20% in the first, driven by both a shift in group strategy and the benefi
Read moreBroker snap: Forecasts lowered at Dunelm
7th Apr 2011 10:42
Nomura keeps its 'buy' rating on Dunelm given its growth potential, but tweaks down forecasts as it foresees weaker-than-expected sales trends. The homeware retailer reported a disappointing second quarter (October to December) with like-for-like (LfL) sales down 4.2%, against a tough comparative o
Read moreSector movers: M&S gives retailers a boost
6th Apr 2011 14:22
Retail giant Marks & Spencer is performing well after strong fourth quarter trading statement, providing a boost to the 'general retail' sector. Blue chips Next and Kingfisher are also higher. Peel Hunt upgraded M&S to a 'hold', from 'sell', after results from both general merchandise and food divi
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Misys rises after 7% revenue growth
6th Apr 2011 13:24
Financial software provider Misys reported a 7% rise in year on year revenue in the third quarter ended 28 February 2011, following strong demand for its products, and said it was poised to meet medium-term targets, sending shares higher. Budget airline easyJet is flying higher after reporting that
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