FTSE 250 movers: Ocado continues to rise
24th Jan 2011 14:10
Online grocer Ocado is continuing its recent surge to head the risers of the FTSE 250. The share price has risen 40 points over the last month and has jumped around 80 points since the start of December. The group, whose main customer is Waitrose, reported a fourth quarter sales increase of 27.4% ea
Read moreGo-Ahead brings Keith Down on board
24th Jan 2011 07:18
Southeastern rail franchise operator Go-Ahead has named JD Wetherspoon's Keith Down as its new finance director. He replaces Nick Swift who is leaving to join British Airways as chief financial officer, the transport group confirmed in a company statement. Commenting on the appointment chief exe
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Asos, Land Securities, JD Wetherspoon
20th Jan 2011 06:33
Shares in the online fashion retailer Asos have almost quadrupled since February, but some brokers believe they are near their peak. If Asos can continue its explosive growth, then that massive rating is justified and one day we could be looking at our own Amazon or eBay. But this is not a stock fo
Read moreLondon close: FTSE 100 dives in late trading
19th Jan 2011 16:40
What started as a sluggish day turned into a bit of a bloodbath with the top share index plummeting ahead of the close. Stocks fell in the US after bank Goldman Sachs' net earnings slumped 38% in 2010 due to a substantial fall in profit in the final quarter Here, publishing giant Pearson was the t
Read moreSABMiller non-exec tops up
19th Jan 2011 15:49
SABMiller non-executive Geoffrey Bible has taken more than £1.2m worth of shares in the brewing giant following its third quarter trading update. Bible, who has been with the company since 2002, took 55,000 shares at 2,211p a time having previously had none. The purchase came on the same day SABMi
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: William Hill bets on good results
19th Jan 2011 15:46
Pick of the bunch today is William Hill after it confirmed full-year results would be at the top end of expectations. The bookmaker said that strength in the online business and gaming machines during the fourth quarter made up for weather-hit sports fixtures. The positive trends of the previous q
Read moreLondon afternoon: Losses trimmed
19th Jan 2011 14:05
Share prices picked up a tad over the lunch time period, but fallers still outnumber risers by more than two to one among FTSE 100 constituents. Publishing giant Pearson is the top blue-chip performer after the FT owner said 2010 earnings will be ahead of previous guidance, as all of its major busi
Read moreLondon midday: FTSE 100 falls back despite cheery updates
19th Jan 2011 12:01
The top share index is still in the red despite well-received company updates, with downbeat news from the retail sector weighing on sentiment. Publishing giant Pearson leads the pack after the FT owner said 2010 earnings will be ahead of previous guidance, as all of its major businesses sustained
Read moreLondon open: Blue chips flat
19th Jan 2011 08:46
London has made a flat start as investors mull over a stack of results and trading updates. Publishing giant Pearson leads the pack after the FT owner said 2010 earnings will be ahead of previous guidance, as all of its major businesses sustained their strong trading momentum throughout last year.
Read moreWetherspoon does brisk business in second quarter
19th Jan 2011 07:32
Pub chain JD Wetherspoon grew like for like sales by more than expected during the second quarter despite the snow and predicts a "reasonable" outcome for the full year. Like for like sales for the 12 weeks to 16 January rose 3%, up from 1.6% in the first quarter and much better than the flat perfo
Read moreWednesday preview: William Hill, JD Wetherspoon, Unemployment
18th Jan 2011 16:23
Time spent down the bookies and the pub today could be passed off as company research as betting shop operator William Hill and pubs group JD Wetherspoon are set to issue trading statements tomorrow. Both may have cause to gripe about the weather in December, with William Hill counting the cost of
Read moreGovernment's low-cost alcohol initiative lacks bottle
18th Jan 2011 14:24
The coalition government is set to announce new measures on Tuesday designed to cut back on the practice of retailers offering deep discounts on alcoholic drinks. Though the new proposals will not prevent shops from selling alcoholic drinks as "loss leaders", it is understood that the government wi
Read moreMonday newspaper round-up: Smith & Nephew, BP, Portugal...
10th Jan 2011 06:42
The healthcare group Smith & Nephew has rejected an offer from its American rival Johnson & Johnson, it emerged last night. The offer is reported to have been pitched at exactly £1 more than the 650p S&N shares closed at on Friday and would have valued the group at almost £6.7bn. A company spokesma
Read moreLondon close: Two-year high for blue chips
4th Nov 2010 17:01
Footsie hit a two-year high as investors piled into blue chips after yesterday's larger-than-expected stimulus package unveiled by the US Federal Reserve. But the good sentiment was not universal, with some hefty fallers on the back of disappointing trading updates. Hopes that the Bank of England's
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: T&L sweetens but Wetherspoon goes flat
4th Nov 2010 14:29
Shares in Tate & Lyle sweetened after the food ingredients company more than doubled profits on sales that were boosted by higher corn prices. Shares in telecom equipment tester Spirent moved up towards a 12-month high as it reported trading since July has exceeded its expectations. JD Wetherspoon
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