Markets
London - The FTSE 100 is currently 64.39 points higher at 4,451.93. Gains are broad based with just 4 fallers on the blue chip index, with investors cheered by the improved forecast for growth in China and a number of other positive economic reports. The Nationwide building society said the average house price rose 1.2%during May, the second rise since March when house prices turned higher for first time since October 2007. Miners and oil companies are prominent after metal and oil prices rose overnight.

Posted: May 29th, 2009 under Asset Management.
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Markets
London - The FTSE 100 is currently 46.38 points lower at 4,369.85 this morning. Man Group tops the fallers’ board, down 12%, after reporting a 64% decline in pre-tax profit for the year. Banks lose ground following the yield movement in the US. RBS falls 3.1%, Lloyds is down 2% and Barclays slips 1.7%. Miners also decline following a dip in metal prices. Rio Tinto loses 2.6% while BHP Billiton dips 1.7%.

Posted: May 28th, 2009 under Asset Management.
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Markets
New York - US stocks rebounded from a four day losing streak yesterday after a report showed consumer confidence hit an eight month high. The Conference Board showed its index measuring the level of confidence had its biggest monthly gain in six years from 40.8 to 54.9, against expectations of a rise to just 42. The data also meant investors largely dismissed the S&P/CaseShiller Home Price Index which showed a record 19.1% drop in the first quarter.

Posted: May 27th, 2009 under Asset Management.
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Markets
London - The FTSE 100 is 27.14 points lower at 4,338.15 this morning. Pennon leads the index lower, down 3.6%, after Bank of America downgraded to company to Underperform from Neutral. Cable & Wireless suffers the same downgrade, but courtesy of Credit Suisse, with the broker citing results and outlook from the company as below expectations. Rexam climbs 2.5% after Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the company to Buy from Neutral.

Posted: May 26th, 2009 under Asset Management.
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Markets
London - The cut in the UK’s rating outlook from S&P weighed on the FTSE on Thursday, with weakness in heavyweight oils, miners and banks contributing to a 2.8 percent slide by the close. The FTSE100 ended 122.94 points lower at 4345.47, its biggest daily fall since March 27th. S&P revised down its ratings outlook for the UK to negative from stable, prompting already weak UK stocks to fall further and the pound to slip sharply against the dollar, though it has since recovered. S&P revised down its ratings outlook for the UK to negative from stable, prompting already weak UK stocks to fall further and the pound to slip sharply against the dollar, though it has since recovered. The extent of the economic gloom for the UK’s finances was reinforced by data showing public borrowing hit a record high for April since records began in 1984.

Posted: May 22nd, 2009 under Asset Management.
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