Editor's Picks
Commission gives nod to Thomas Cook merger
Thursday 21 Jul 2011
Travel group Thomas Cook is in need of good news after a recent profits warning knocked the shares for six, so it was understandably pleased that the Competition Commission has provisionally waved through the merger of its travel agents business with the travel agent operations of The Co-Operative Group and the Midlands Co-Operative.
Mitchells & Butlers hits dry spell
Thursday 21 Jul 2011
The absence of big sporting events such as the football World Cup has resulted in fewer punters at Mitchells & Butlers, the pub group behind the O’ Neill's and All Bar One chains, has said.
Scottish & Southern lifts gas and electricity tariffs
Thursday 21 Jul 2011
Scottish & Southern Energy has become the latest of the “big six” utility groups to warn of higher tariffs, saying it will increase household electricity prices by an average of 11% and household gas prices by 18% from 14 September. The move had been expected following Scottish Power’s announcement in June that it will increase gas prices by 19% and electricity prices by 10%.
Thursday tips round-up: LSE, IPF, Playtech
Thursday 21 Jul 2011
There is a strong sense that the London Stock Exchange is not sure where to go next after the unexpected failure of its merger with TMX, of Canada. I do not believe that the LSE will be bid for by anyone. This leaves its shares at the top end of their trading range, up 33½p at £10.30½p yesterday and on about 13 times’ this year’s earnings. Unless you believe that a bid is in prospect, taking a
Tuesday newspaper round-up: Greece, Santander, UK banks
Thursday 21 Jul 2011
Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy held crisis talks in Berlin amid warnings that a failure to break the debt crisis deadlock within 24 hours would send shockwaves around the global economy. Late on Wednesday night it was announced that both parties were close to a deal to bail out Greece, the Telegraph reports.
US close: Mixed finish after earnings flurry
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
Earnings reports were mixed Wednesday, but they were overshadowed by continued wrangling by US politicians over how to cut the deficit in the world’s biggest economy.
London close: Debt hopes boost markets
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
Shares moved higher on both sides of the Atlantic amid hopes that European and US leaders are making progress towards agreeing solutions to debt problems. It was US corporate news that boosted today’s star sector in London though. Chip companies ARM Holdings and Imagination Technologies sizzled after strong results from the California tech giant Apple, which uses their technology in its gadgets.
US midday: Further progress on Capitol Hill?
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
Equity benchmarks have turned ‘mixed’ again at midday but now it is the Dow Jones Industrial and S&P 500 which are in the green while the Nasdaq is moving slightly down, even if only barely (Dow Jones: 7, Nasdaq Comp.: -5, S&P 500: 3). The above following Apple’s better than expected quarterly results out last night and a slightly improved news flow as regards the battle on Capitol Hill to reach
Laptop TV advance boosts Motive Television
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
Shares in Motive Television jumped after it said it had developed technology that allows viewers to watch pre-recorded audio-visual material on their laptops, Apple iPads and other tablet and mobile devices. “The advancement allows viewers to transfer a recorded file from their set-top box to a second screen, or mobile device, to watch anytime, anywhere wit
FTSE 100 movers: Barclays leads banks higher
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
The banks were leading the Footsie higher on Wednesday afternoon, with Barclays, RBS and Lloyds recouping some of the week’s earlier losses. Barclays was the highest riser, gaining 4.54%, but still remains around 3% down over the last seven days.
Technical analysis: Possibly useful upside gap in Nasdaq 100
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
Technical analysts at Digital Look are commenting this afternoon that, "The technology stock benchmark has not yet confirmed a breakout from resistance at 2,814 points. However, we wonder if going ‘long’ should not still be on the table as an option in light of the ‘bullish gap' left behind at 2,346 points. On the charts we can see how prices did a 38.2% retracement of the latest bullish move
Citi positive on AstraZeneca's heart drug approval
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
Citi said AstraZeneca’s blockbuster heart drug brilinta has a 60% to 70% chance of approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration but is contingent on post-marketing studies with a sufficient number of US patients to confirm the benefit with low-dose of aspirin.
US preopen: Apple leads the charge higher
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
The Dow Jones Industrials and the S&P 500 are being called to open higher this afternoon, with gains of 0.5%, but with the Nasdaq rising even more, by 1%. The above following Apple’s better than expected quarterly results out last night. The tech heavyweight’s shares are now rising by 6%, pulling all the major benchmark futures up.
Alstom saw weak demand in first quarter
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
Power transmission technology company Alstom closed its fiscal first quarter with revenue of 4.53 billion euros, a 12% decline from the same period of last year, as the company experienced soft demand in its thermal energy and transportation divisions. Orders registered in these three months rose 44% to 5.01 billion euros, for a total order book of 47 billion.
Broker snap: BHP has 'solid' quarter, Citi says buy
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
Citi has kept its buy rating and 3,000p target price on miner BHP Billiton, after it reported "solid" fourth quarter production results with the key commodities generally in line with forecasts.
Europe midday: Banks bounce back
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
European markets are firmer across the board, boosted by expectations of a firm start on Wall Street, where hopes have risen of a resolution to the debt ceiling crisis.
US preopen: Apple leads the charge higher
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
The Dow Jones Industrials and the S&P 500 are being called to open higher this afternoon, with gains of 0.5%, but with the Nasdaq rising even more, by 1%. The above following Apple’s better than expected quarterly results out last night. The tech heavyweight’s shares are now rising by 6%, pulling all the major benchmark futures up.
Premium broker snap: Few catalysts at BTG, Peel Hunt downgrades to hold
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
With few near-term catalysts for shares of BTG, Peel Hunt downgrades the group to hold, from buy, following the stock’s recent outperformance.
Byotrol to supply hand wash to Rentokil Initial
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
Hygiene technologies group Byotrol rocketed more than 50% after saying it has inked a potential multi-million pound contract to supply hand hygiene and surface sanitisation products to pest control services provider Rentokil Initial.
Minutes: The Bank of England backtracks slightly, some say
Wednesday 20 Jul 2011
From the minutes of the Bank of England’s (BoE) last monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting, from the past 6th and 7th of July, it would seem that in its last meeting the monetary authority placed particular emphasis on the latest labour productivity trends and their implications for inflation, although some observers are also highlighting the BoE’s references to “conditions in bank funding
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