FTSE ticks up as defensives rise May 3, 2012 BRITAIN’S blue chip-index edged up in thin volume yesterday as gains among defensive stocks offset disappointing trading updates among cyclicals and weak US macro data. The FTSE 100 closed 8.44 points higher, or 0.2 per cent, at 5,766.55 points, having traded only 87 per cent of its 90-day volume average. Some investors were reluctant to [...]
Philip Morris sales boosted by emerging markets and pricing April 19, 2012 PHILIP Morris, one of the world’s biggest tobacco groups, said yesterday that its profits for the first quarter had risen 13 per cent, boosted by a rise in prices. The company, which makes cigarettes including the Marlboro and Benson & Hedges brands, reported net income of $2.16bn (£1.35bn) for the three months to 31 March, [...]
BEST of the BROKERS April 23, 2012 HERITAGE OIL UBS has upgraded the oil and gas group from “neutral” to “buy” and maintained its target price on the stock at 190p following recent weakness in the shares. The brokers says that the 22 per cent fall in the share price since the start of the year is “unjustified” given the company’s unchanged [...]
FTSE lurches higher after a volatile day of bank and commodity swings May 10, 2012 A BOUNCE back by risk-sensitive banks and commodity stocks hauled Britain’s stock index higher yesterday after a roller-coaster session, with worries over the global growth outlook easing following benign US jobless claims. At the close, the FTSE 100 index was up 13.90 points, or 0.3 per cent at 5,543.95, holding above key technical support at [...]
Top brands pay best dividend March 5, 2012 Trusted brands known and used in every household in the UK were among some of the most consistent, dividend yielding stocks over the past year, according to research by Indixs. The UK Dividend Achievers Index listed the most consistent dividend paying stocks and found that consumer brands such as SABMiller, Diageo, Unilever, British American Tobacco [...]
LONDON REPORT April 22, 2012 UK investors are set for a busy week with a slew of earnings both here and on Wall Street, the release of Britain’s quarterly GDP rate and a decision from the Fed on the US Bank rate. Both the Nationwide Housing Prices report and Nationwide Consumer Confidence report are due out this week and today’s [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS February 27, 2012 HAMMERSON Deutsche Bank has maintained its “buy” rating on the property group and raised its target price by 20p to 520p after consensus-beating results from the company last week. The broker estimates that Hammerson will deliver its planned dividend increase in 2012, and increases its earnings per share outlook for 2012 and 2013. It does [...]
FTSE edges up despite retail fears March 23, 2012 The FTSE 100 bounced back in early trading after falls mainly triggered by miners who are fearful of a slowdown of growth in China. However, gains were minimal with the tough climate for UK retailers being laid bare by data from Nationwide today showing that consumer morale is weakening. Blue chip retailer Kingfisher, which owns [...]
FTSE edges up despite retail fears March 23, 2012 The FTSE 100 bounced back in early trading after falls mainly triggered by miners who are fearful of a slowdown of growth in China. However, gains were minimal with the tough climate for UK retailers being laid bare by data from Nationwide today showing that consumer morale is weakening. Blue chip retailer Kingfisher, which owns [...]
BAT boosted by growth in Asian market February 23, 2012 BRITISH American Tobacco (BAT) has defied expectations to boost profits by 12.4 per cent to £4.9bn, buoyed by strong growth in its Asian division. It used the results to announce plans to buy back £1.25bn of its own shares and increase its dividend for the year by 11 per cent. But the world’s second biggest [...]