Markets
London - The FTSE 100 is currently 6.68 points lower at 6,129.44. British Energy leads the risers, up 6%, after Centrica said it was in talks with France’s EDF about taking a 25 percent interest in the nuclear operator. Smiths Group is 3.1% higher after posting a 10% rise in underlying full year profit and announcing that it has won a long-term design and supply contracts on US military communications programmes worth a potential £225 million.

Posted: September 24th, 2008 under Asset Management.
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Markets
London - London has followed markets in New York and Asia lower as confidence was knocked after US authorities remained undecided over the details of a financial sector bail-out. The FTSE 100 is 83.16 points lower to 5,153.10. British Airways is one of the biggest fallers, down 5.3%, following the spike in oil prices. The LSE continues to fall on worries about a potential High Court case with PLUS Markets over “anti competitive” trade reporting. Man Group falls 4.5% after Citigroup cut its price target on the stock to 650p from 720p.

Posted: September 24th, 2008 under Asset Management.
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Markets
London - The FTSE 100 is 43.27 points lower at 5,268.03 this morning. Wolseley tops the risers board, up 4%, after reporting its full year results. Eurasian Natural Resources leads a number of mining stocks higher as a result of rising metal and oil prices. The London Stock Exchange tops the fallers board on news that PLUS Markets has lodged a case with the High Court against an “anti-competitive” trade reporting rule of the LSE. The rule at stake requires PLUS members that are also members of the LSE to report trades in smaller companies, those listed on London’s junior AIM market, to the LSE, creating additional costs.

Posted: September 22nd, 2008 under Asset Management.
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Markets
London - UK stocks closed lower on Thursday despite choppy trade as volatility reigned despite a concerted move by central banks to boost liquidity and Lloyds TSB’s deal to buy HBOS. Investors were also cautious ahead of today’s futures and options expiries. The FTSE100 closed 32.4 points lower at 4880. The turmoil in the markets prompted the Federal Reserve and other central banks to pump billions of dollars into the global money markets in a coordinated effort to ease a funding squeeze. The move initially eased some of the fears on the health of the global financial system that has seen investors dump stocks.

Posted: September 19th, 2008 under Asset Management.
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Markets
London - The FTSE 100 is currently 50.30 points higher this morning at 4,962.70. Investors have been cheered by the overnight news that Lloyds have bid £12 billion for HBOS. Shares in HBOS are currently 28.8% higher topping the risers board, although in contrast Lloyds shares are trading 7.5% lower, topping the fallers board. Kingfisher is 10% higher after first half profits beat expectations. Enterprise Inns completes the top three risers, up 7.7% after Goldman Sachs removed the company from its Pan-Europe sell list.

Posted: September 18th, 2008 under Asset Management.
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