London Report: FTSE in negative territory for 2014 as retail stocks fall January 8, 2014 THE top share index fell yesterday, slipping back into negative territory for the year, after concerns about a smoking ban in China knocked back tobacco companies and following a cautious outlook from Sainsbury. The FTSE 100 closed down 33.67 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 6,716.16. It remains pinned in a 70-point trading range this [...]
London Report: Yellen warning and rise in UK inflation cause FTSE to slip July 16, 2014 BRITAIN’S top shares lost ground yesterday after US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen voiced concern over valuations. And housebuilders were hit by growing expectations UK interest rates would soon rise, while Imperial Tobacco fell sharply. The FTSE 100 index was down by 0.53 per cent – 35.69 points – at 6,710.45 points. Imperial Tobacco sank [...]
There’s a smoking advert on British TV for the first time in 20 years February 17, 2014 Big Tobacco is back – but not quite as you remember it. British TV will see its first advert from a tobacco company in 20 years – and it’s for British American Tobacco’s (BAT) e-cigarette. The ad for Vype – BAT’s first UK e-cigarette – will be broadcast on television over the next two months. [...]
London Report: Insurance firms start a deluge of UK earnings February 23, 2014 A BUMPER week for UK earnings kicks off today with results from Hiscox, one of the big home insurers reporting full-year figures. Figures from Hiscox, RSA and Direct Line could give more detailed estimates of losses for UK industry and themselves after recent flooding and storms. Aviva and L&G are also set to give end [...]
The week in brief February 23, 2014 Coca-Cola to reinvest $1bn in marketing after fall in sales The soft drinks company – one of many struggling to deal with declining demand – plans to make an extra $1bn (£600m) in productivity savings by 2016, most of which will then be reinvested back into marketing. Earlier this month, it announced a drop in [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 21 February 2014 February 20, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Business Wire halts high speed traders Business Wire, which has published corporate news releases in the US for the last half century, will stop selling direct feeds to high-speed traders, amid concerns that the practice gives the firms an unfair advantage over other investors. Warren Buffett, whose conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway owns Business Wire, [...]
London Report: FTSE sheds points as taper fears return to haunt investors December 11, 2013 THE UK’S top share index ended slightly lower yesterday with a provisional budget deal in Washington raising concerns of a reduction in US stimulus as early as next week. The agreement, reached late on Tuesday, would end three years of impasse and fiscal instability in Washington that culminated in October with a partial government shutdown. [...]
Tobacco giant’s volumes down as Europe quits October 23, 2013 BRITISH American Tobacco yesterday reported revenues increased only 0.7 per cent in the nine months to 30 September, as trading was hit by adverse exchange rate movements and lower volumes in key European and Brazilian markets. The world’s second largest private sector tobacco company said that worldwide volumes of cigarettes fell 3.2 per cent compared [...]
Best of the Brokers for 08 November 2013 November 7, 2013 WHITBREAD Morgan Stanley has repeated its “equalweight” rating on the leisure group and hiked its target from 2,900p to 3,400p to reflect a better outlook across the sector. The broker sees Whitbread as a high quality investment but believes there is a margin risk that it not yet factored into forecasts. BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO Barclays [...]
London Report: Rio Tinto holds up FTSE despite housing drop November 28, 2013 HeAVYWEIGHT miner Rio Tinto helped keep the FTSE 100 in positive territory yesterday, offsetting weakness in housebuilders after the Bank of England removed a mortgage support scheme. Rio Tinto enjoyed hefty gains in an otherwise subdued session – adding six points on its own to the FTSE 100 – as investors responded bullishly to the [...]