London midday: Stocks rocket on Chinese move
30th Nov 2011 12:09
With China acting to ease fears of a 'hard landing', European stock markets - and US futures - swung back into positive territory after sharp falls early on. Banks and miners roared into the lead in London, despite being the worst performers early on. The Footsie stood at 5,390 just after the midday
Read moreWednesday broker round-up - UPDATE
30th Nov 2011 09:42
Weir: UBS increases target from 2,400p to 2,500p, buy rating kept. BG Group: Nomura ups target from 1,750p to 1,850p, buy rating unchanged. BHP Billiton: Investec reiterates buy rating and 1,919p target. International Power: Nomura cuts target from 410p to 390p, buy recommendation kept. Sage: In
Read moreLondon open: Mining stocks weigh
30th Nov 2011 08:39
London's leading stocks are trimming early losses after the weakness of mining stocks pushed the Footsie below 5,300 at one point. With resource stocks excluded from the picture, the index would be little changed, although downbeat consumer confidence data from market research firm GfK NOP has not
Read moreLondon pre-open: Cairn's bad run continues
30th Nov 2011 08:07
London is set to open lower despite a firm showing overnight on Wall Street. City sources predict the FTSE 100 will open down 50 points from yesterday's close of 5,337. Accountancy software group Sage saw underlying pre-tax profit from continuing operations rise 8% to £352.6m in the year to the en
Read moreSage bumps up divi by 25%
30th Nov 2011 07:07
Sage Group, the accountancy software company, has seen revenues come in ahead of the consensus forecast for the 12 months to the end of September. Taking into account discontinued operations (mainly its Healthcare division) Sage's revenues for the period were £1.48bn; this is slightly ahead of the
Read moreWednesday preview: Sage, Marston's, RPC
29th Nov 2011 15:48
Accountancy software giant Sage is set to release full-year results against a backdrop of a law-suit against it, brought by Archer Capital, which is suing for damages following the termination of discussions between Sage and Archer relating to the potential purchase of Sage's Australian competitor M
Read moreLondon open: Banks lead modest advance
14th Nov 2011 08:42
Stocks edge higher, with banks to the fore, though sentiment has been dampened by a gloomy prognosis on the UK jobs market from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). The CIPD predicts that "the employment situation will get worse for the rest of the year, while medium-term pr
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks on the front foot
14th Nov 2011 07:29
London is set to pick up where it left off at Friday's close, with City sources predicting the FTSE 100 will open up 31 points from yesterday's close of 5,545. Broadcaster ITV said total external revenues in the first nine months of 2011 were up 4% at £1,515m from £1,456m in the corresponding peri
Read moreArcher Capital sues Sage over MYOB
14th Nov 2011 07:12
Accountancy software titan Sage is being sued by Archer Capital for damages following the termination of discussions between Sage and Archer relating to the potential purchase of MYOB. Sage has released a statement saying it "strongly rejects" the claim, which it understands to be in the region of
Read moreBroker tips: Barclays, Homeserve, Sage
31st Oct 2011 12:13
Nomura has reiterated its buy call on banking giant Barclays, after the firm's third quarter results came in ahead of expectations. The broker notes that Barclay's traditional banking operations drove the third quarter beat, and while Barclays Capital was weak, figures were in line with forecasts a
Read moreBroker snap: UBS downgrades Sage to neutral
31st Oct 2011 11:57
UBS has downgraded accountancy software firm Sage from buy to neutral, saying that there are few catalysts for the stock in the near future. "[Shares] are still 6% below their 2011 highs but we see limited catalysts near-term, with the buyback likely to provide downside protection but little more.
Read moreUPDATE: Monday broker round-up
31st Oct 2011 10:17
Homeserve: Citi retains sell, cuts target to 400p from 430p. Virgin Media: Citi stays at buy, lowers target to $32 from $35.7. Homeserve: Credit Suisse downgrades from outperform to neutral, target cut from 570p to 485p. Removes from small and medium cap Focus list. JJB Sports: Panmure Gordon d
Read moreSage sells healthcare biz to fund buybacks
22nd Sep 2011 07:49
Accountancy software titan Sage is to get shot of its Sage Software Healthcare subsidiary for $320m (£205m), and use the money to finance a share buyback. The business, which offers practice management and electronic health record solutions to US physician practices, is being sold to Vista Equity P
Read moreLondon close: Autonomy movement helps limit losses
19th Aug 2011 16:38
Stocks finished in the red heading into the weekend but off their daily lows, having bounced back into the blue from heavy losses earlier on. Today's standout stock was Autonomy rocketed by over 75% in early trading after US computing giant Hewlett-Packard made a recommended offer for the Cambridge
Read moreLondon midday: Lloyds and RBS fall again as FTSE 100 slides
19th Aug 2011 12:03
The leading share index is stuck below the 5,000 point mark amid continuing worries over the global economic situation. Banks Lloyds and RBS are suffering hefty losses again as is IAG, the owner of British Airways. But shares in Autonomy rocketed by over 75% in early trading after US computing gi
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