Markets
London - UK stocks closed lower on Thursday, coming off earlier lows, as weaker crude and metals weighed on energy stocks and miners. The FTSE100 closed 50.49 points lower at 5207.36.

Posted: October 23rd, 2009 under Asset Management.
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Markets
London - The FTSE 100 index closed 14.5 points, or 0.3% higher at 5257.9 yesterday. A weakening dollar and a bigger than expected drop in petrol stocks across the Atlantic pushed up crude oil prices and helped commodities. Engineering group Smiths was the weakest stock on the index, down 3.8%, while other big fallers included BSkyB, down 2.1%, and BG Group, 0.4% lower. Shares in bid-target Cadbury rose 0.1% after the confectionery group reported strong third-quarter trading. The main domestic macro focus will be on September British retail sales numbers, with a 0.5 percent rise expected on the month, after a flat reading in August, giving a year-on-year increase of 2.8 percent, up from 2.1 percent in the previous month.

Posted: October 22nd, 2009 under Asset Management.
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Markets
London - The FTSE 100 is currently 16.35 points higher at 5,259.75. Wolseley tops the riser board, up 3.4%, after BofA Merrill Lynch upgraded the stock to Buy, saying positive GDP growth should drive operational leverage. Tesco follows, gaining 2.2%, after Nomura raised its price estimate for the shares by more than 25%, citing prospects for increased profitability and foreign sales. Companies that have begun trading without the right to the next dividend keep the indexes gains in check. Stocks going ex today include, Smiths Group, down 2.4%, BAE Systems, off 1.8% and British Sky Broadcasting, which loses 1.6%. London Stock Exchange tops the faller’s board though, sliding 3.1%, after Goldman Sachs downgraded it to neutral from buy, and removes it from its conviction list. Goldmans said the current price target implies only 7% upside potential, and sees greater upside elsewhere.

Posted: October 21st, 2009 under Asset Management.
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Markets
London - UK stocks closed higher on Monday, lifted by gains in miners and energy stocks as commodity prices rose on an improved demand outlook and investors looked towards further earnings news from the US. The FTSE100 closed 91.30 points higher at 5281.54, a new high for 2009 on the 22nd anniversary of the Black Monday stock market crash of October 1987.

Posted: October 20th, 2009 under Asset Management.
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The Government has recently published a consultation paper and draft regulations to implement the EU Agency Workers Directive.  This follows an earlier consultation on the policy considerations and it is therefore likely that the draft Regulations are close to their final form.
Who will be covered?
The Regulations will apply to people finding temporary work through a [...]

Posted: October 19th, 2009 under Employment/HR.
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