London midday: Markets slip after weak construction data, utilities fall
13th Mar 2015 12:03
Stocks in London dipped into the red on Friday morning after data showed an unexpected decline in UK construction output, while utility shares weakened on political uncertainty. The FTSE 100 was down 0.35% at 6,737.10 by midday with SSE and Centrica among the worst performers. Construction output d
Read moreLondon open: Stock markets flat ahead of quiet day
13th Mar 2015 09:06
UK stocks were more or less flat in early deals on Friday ahead of a quiet day for the markets in terms of economic data and corporate news. London's FTSE 100 was trading up just 0.01% at 6,761.79 early on. As it stands, the Footsie is still nearly 3% lower than where it stood last Friday as a stre
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks to edge higher early on
13th Mar 2015 07:46
UK stocks are expected to edge higher on Friday morning as markets continue to attempt to claw back heavy losses made earlier in the week. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open around 10 points higher than Thursday's close of 6,761.07. As it stands, the Footsie is still nearly 3% lower than w
Read moreJD Wetherspoon sales slow in second half after short-measure of interim profits
13th Mar 2015 07:07
As it announced cheaper breakfasts and free-refill coffee campaign to capture a fuller slice of the morning trade, JD Wetherspoon served up a slightly short measure of first-half profits and revealed sales began to slow in the second half. The FTSE 250-listed pubs group said profit before tax and ex
Read moreFriday preview: JD Wetherspoon reports first half interims
12th Mar 2015 14:33
JD Wetherspoon's first half sales are expected to be offset by a decline in margins as the pub operator lured in customers with cheaper drinks. Numis predicts pre-tax profit of £38.4m, up from the previous year's £37.8m. Like-for-like sales are projected to increase 4.8% but earnings before interest
Read moreBroker tips: Dixons Carphone, JD Wetherspoon, IG Group
21st Jan 2015 11:52
Investec has lifted its target price for Dixons Carphone from 465p to 500p and retained its 'buy' recommendation for investors, saying that the update on Wednesday reflected a "Christmas cracker" for the electrical retailer. "Management has indicated expectations for [the year ending April 2015] to
Read moreWetherspoon's beer "unnecessarily" cheap, Numis downgrades to 'hold'
21st Jan 2015 09:24
A slowdown in like-for-like (LFL) sales growth at pub group JD Wetherspoon has prompted Numis Securities to cut its rating on the stock from 'add' to 'hold' and lower its forecasts, with the broker cautioning about the company's price position. Numis said with consumer spending rising and customers
Read moreJD Wetherspoon sales slow and margins tighten in second quarter
21st Jan 2015 07:46
Sales have continued to slow and margins tighten at JD Wetherspoon in December and January, with the pubs group reporting like-for-like sales growth more than halved in recent weeks compared to the first quarter. With one week to go before the end of the first half, LFL sales increased by 2.8% in th
Read moreTuesday newspaper round-up: Ebola, Greece, City Link...
30th Dec 2014 06:53
A woman returning home from Sierra Leone has become the first person in the UK to be diagnosed with Ebola, according to The Telegraph. Britain's screening system for the disease immediately came under scrutiny after the NHS nurse's condition was not detected in either country. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotl
Read moreLondon close: Stocks gain despite Greek political turmoil
29th Dec 2014 16:04
London stocks rose on Monday despite the risk of fresh Eurozone uncertainty as Greece's failure to choose a new president triggered elections. The FTSE 100 Index closed 23.58 points ahead at 6633.51 in London after Greek lawmakers failed to elect a new president in a final round of voting. It means
Read moreWetherspoon to create 1,500 jobs in the UK and Ireland
29th Dec 2014 12:05
Pub group JD Wetherspoon announced on Monday it will open 200 pubs in the next five years, which it said should create 1,500 new jobs in the UK and Ireland. The pub chain will invest around £400m in new pubs, "many of which will be in areas where Wetherspoon is not yet represented", chairman Tim Mar
Read morePub firms say beer tie vote may spark closures and job losses
19th Nov 2014 07:13
It has been hailed as a historic vote that could secure the future of the British pub, but Parliament's decision to scrap the restrictive 'beer tie', which links pub landlords' rent and supplies to their parent pub companies, might have "serious unintended consequences" on the industry, according to
Read moreWednesday broker round-up UPDATE
12th Nov 2014 09:07
Aberdeen: UBS lowers target price from 465p to 450p and downgrades from buy to neutral. ASOS: Societe Generale reduces target price from 5000p to 4450p, while leaving its buy recommendation unchanged. BG Group: Deutsche Bank reduces target price from 1400p to 1300p and keeps a buy recommendation.
Read moreThursday broker round-up UPDATE
6th Nov 2014 10:01
Amec: UBS cuts target price from 1185p to 1150p, while its buy recommendation remains unchanged. Afren: Liberum Capital cuts target price from 121p to 95p and stays with its hold recommendation. Antofagasta: Canaccord cuts target price from 790p to 760p and reiterates a hold recommendation. Associ
Read moreLondon close: M&S helps stocks to brush off downbeat services data
5th Nov 2014 16:11
Markets shrugged off fresh economic woes and gold price falls on Wednesday, helped by positive news from retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S). Continental European service sector data came in weak and UK service data also surprised on the downside, slowing to a 17-month low in October. Fears that the dec
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