FTSE flat as investors await news of Fed’s monetary policy April 27, 2011 BRITAIN’S top share index ended flat yesterday ahead of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s news conference which could provide clues on the Fed’s future plans for its monetary policy. The blue-chip FTSE 100 was down 1.2 points or 0.02 per cent at 6,068.16, having hit a 9-week closing high on Tuesday. Volume was only 87.6 [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS February 28, 2011 ENRC Morgan Stanley rates the miner “overweight” with a target price of £14. The broker believes that rising ferrochrome spot prices could give a lift to 2011 earnings of between five and seven per cent, and thinks that consensus upgrades could be higher still. Morgan Stanley adds that ENRC’s leverage to iron ore still looks [...]
Cold weather boosts profits for Centrica July 28, 2010 BRITISH Gas owner Centrica beat forecasts yesterday by posting a first-half operating profit of £1.56bn. Profit rose 65 per cent in the last six months, bolstered by the UK’s coldest winter in 30 years upping energy consumption. Revenues for the period were comparable to the same time last year, at £11.7bn, though the firm added [...]
Centrica profit soars by 65pc July 28, 2010 ENERGY supplier Centrica has seen its operating profit soar by 65 per cent in the first half of the year. Centrica, which is the parent company pf British Gas, saw a profit of £1.56bn up until the end of June. British Gas profits doubled to £585m compared to £295m last year. The cold weather at [...]
Centrica profit soars by 65pc July 28, 2010 ENERGY supplier Centrica has seen its operating profit soar by 65 per cent in the first half of the year. Centrica, which is the parent company pf British Gas, saw a profit of £1.56bn up until the end of June. British Gas profits doubled to £585m compared to £295m last year. The cold weather at [...]
Populist tax on oil firms has backfired March 30, 2011 IF George Osborne is to be believed, Britain is open for business once again. Some senior executives clearly agree: Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP’s boss, wants to move his firm’s legal base back to Britain if all of the proposals in the Budget are voted through. But if you are an oil and gas company, or [...]
Moulton’s Better Capital buys parts of Connaught February 1, 2011 VENTURE capitalist Jon Moulton has bought parts of collapsed housing repair group Connaught, as administrator KPMG nears the end of dismantling the firm. Moulton’s private equity group Better Capital said yesterday is will pay £15m to buy and restructure Connaught’s risk management subsidiary, which did not collapse but was held by KPMG as one of [...]
FTSE rally continues despite earnings woes for retailers March 30, 2011 THE FTSE 100 closed higher for a sixth consecutive session yesterday, its best run since August 2010, as investors ditched retailers over earnings worries in favour of growth sectors such as industrials and mining. Dixons issued a profit warning and gloomy outlook as a survey from the CBI showed the underlying trend for retail sales [...]
FTSE rally continues despite earnings woes for retailers March 30, 2011 THE FTSE 100 closed higher for a sixth consecutive session yesterday, its best run since August 2010, as investors ditched retailers over earnings worries in favour of growth sectors such as industrials and mining. Dixons issued a profit warning and gloomy outlook as a survey from the CBI showed the underlying trend for retail sales [...]
THE WEEK AHEAD February 20, 2011 COMPANY NEWS ● The week’s slew of annual reports will begin on Monday. Hammerson, which invests in and develops shopping centres, retail parks and offices throughout Europe, will kick things off. ● Wednesday will see investment management company Henderson Group release its full-year results. ● Part-nationalised banks RBS and Lloyds will report their annual performances [...]