London Stock Exchange share price soars to record high on news of possible bid from NYSE-owner ICE to rival Deutsche Boerse March 1, 2016 Shares in the London Stock Exchange Group soared to a record high yesterday, after the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) owner Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) confirmed it is considering bidding for the London-based exchange. ICE’s intervention came less than one week after LSE revealed it was in merger talks with the Frankfurt-based exchange Deutsche Boerse – [...]
Kate Spade share price rises after fashion company reports strong sales for final quarter of year ended 2 January 2016 and announces expansion into India March 1, 2016 Share price in Kate Spade rose today after the company reported strong sales for its final quarter of its financial year, although its net income fell. The fashion company, which is particularly well-known for its handbag designs, reported net sales for the 52 weeks ending 2 January 2016 of $1.2bn (£860m), up 9.1 per cent [...]
High street banks plan to help Treasury offload £17bn of Bradford and Bingley loans March 1, 2016 Britain’s largest high street banks are planning to help the Treasury offload £17bn of Bradford and Bingley (B&B) loans. The proposal would see Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland, Nationwide and Santander guarantee around £17bn of financing to the purchasers of the loans. It emerged at the beginning of this year that a sizeable part [...]
Moneysupermarket.com share price rises as price comparison company reveals boost in profits and revenues for year ended December 2015 March 1, 2016 Share price in Moneysupermarket.com closed up today after the company revealed a boost to both its profits and revenues in its preliminary results. The price comparison website announced adjusted operating profits for its year ended December 2015 of £100.1m, up 15 per cent from £87.3m the year before. Meanwhile, group revenue grew to £281.7m, up 14 per cent [...]
Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT) share price rises as company reveals a fall in profits but a rise in revenues for its year ended December 2015 March 1, 2016 Share price in Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT) closed up today despite the company revealing a fall in profits in its preliminary results. The company, which provides insurance, employee benefits and brokerage services, reported profits before tax of £155m for its year ended December 2015, a decrease of three per cent from £159.7m the year before, as planned [...]
US car sales surge for Ford and Fiat Chrysler, as General Motors slumps March 1, 2016 Automobile sales have continued to surge in the US, with Ford the latest company to reveal stand out numbers that have blown analyst expectations out of the water. Ford’s total sales in February grew by 20 per cent compared to a year ago, with some 217,000 vehicles sold. Retail sales grew 11 per cent, making [...]
Barclays share price drops and Ashtead Group falls but FTSE 100 index rises as London Stock Exchange and Direct Line jump March 1, 2016 After a frankly uneventful day yesterday, the FTSE 100 index bounced higher today despite the latest PMI data showed China's manufacturing sector shrinking. The UK's blue-chip index rose 0.92 per cent to 6,152 points, as investors contemplated a corporate results onslaught. Good news was to be found with the London Stock Exchange Group, which jumped 7.17 per cent [...]
Office boom fuels rise in profits at workspace provider Regus March 1, 2016 Regus shares climbed higher yesterday after the workspace provider posted a 67 per cent jump in annual profits and hiked its dividend. The company, which has over 2,700 centres across across 977 towns and cities worldwide, reported pre-tax profits of £145.7m in 2015, on sales up 15.9 per cent to £1.9bn. Underlying earnings per share rose by 51 per [...]
FTSE 100 demotions and promotions: Paddy Power Betfair and Morrisons eligible to be on the up while Aberdeen Asset Management and Sports Direct eligible for demotion March 1, 2016 Morrisons could be returning to the FTSE 100 after just quarter of languishing in the FTSE 250 – but it may edge out Mike Ashley's Sports Direct in doing so. Morrisons, which yesterday unveiled a major new tie up with Amazon, has seen its share price soar in recent weeks. Shares are up 34 per [...]
Greggs’ share price leaps after 25 per cent rise in profits, but three bakeries set to close as part of £100m restructuring March 1, 2016 Greggs' share price leapt by more than 14 per cent this morning after the bakery chain announced better-than-expected full-year profits and a £100m investment plan to overhaul its manufacturing operations. The FTSE 250 company, which has around 1,700 stores in the UK, plans to cut three bakeries in Twickenham, Edinburgh and Sleaford as part of the five-year plan and use the [...]