BHP buyback fails to cheer shareholders February 16, 2011 BHP BILLITON’S shares fell yesterday following its half-year results, as some investors called into question the mining giant’s strategy of a share buyback rather than the pursuit of acquisitions. As analysts pored over BHP’s results statement yesterday, which included a record $10.7bn (£6.7bn) attributable profit and a below-forecast 46 cents dividend payment, its London-listed shares fell [...]
ANALYST VIEWS: WERE YOU IMPRESSED BY BHP BILLITON’S RESULTS? February 16, 2011 DAMIEN HACKETT | CANACCORD GENUITY BHP has particularly impressed me with its confidence in extending the share buyback. This is a firm that doesn’t need to put padding round its balance sheet. NIK STANOJEVIC | BREWIN DOLPHIN It was a bit mixed. This is a company that makes phenomenal profits, but some were expecting more [...]
Hopes of revival for financial sector drives the FTSE higher February 16, 2011 BRITAIN’S leading share index rallied yesterday, powered by banks, on hopes for further upbeat earnings in the sector after Barclays and French peer Societe Generale set the standard. HSBC gained 2.8 per cent, Royal Bank of Scotland rose 4.3 per cent and Barclays, which reported results on Tuesday, was up 1.0 per cent. Societe Generale [...]
BHP Billiton in £39bn expansion plan February 16, 2011 BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest miner, plans to pour $80bn (£49bn) into expansions over the next five years rather than chase ambitious takeovers, after nearly doubling first-half profits to a record on booming demand for iron ore and copper. The Anglo-Australian company, which is cash rich, also said it would more than double its share [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING February 15, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES JERSEY AND ISLE OF MAN OFFER TAX SOP TO BRUSSELS Jersey and the Isle of Man have announced changes to their corporate tax regimes in an effort to neutralise criticism from Brussels. Both crown dependencies said they were withdrawing laws that aim to stop local shareholders from avoiding personal income tax by rolling [...]
BHP Billiton to hand $10bn to investors February 15, 2011 MINING giant BHP Billiton revealed last night that it almost doubled its half-year profit last year thanks to booming iron ore and copper prices, and offered shareholders an olive branch in the form of a $10bn (£6.2bn) buyback during this year. The Anglo-Australian miner announced in Melbourne that attributable profit jumped 71.5 per cent to a [...]
Disappointing economic data keeps markets in the red February 15, 2011 The FTSE has spent the day in the red and closed down 0.38 per cent at 6,037.08 after disappointing US economic data and news. Miners were also led down by news from China, where an above-target 4.9 per cent increase in inflation raised the prospect of further interest rate rises. Banks were buoyant, though, [...]
THE TIPSTER February 14, 2011 AFTER its troubles over the last few months it seems that Rolls Royce is continuing to impress potential clients. The continuous stream of servicing contracts is positive enough to keep the company share price recovering after the recent engine issues. The share price has continued this recovery since the issues towards the end of 2010, [...]
BHP and Anglo set for record results February 13, 2011 BHP BILLITON is expected to best its mining rivals with around $15bn (£9.4bn) profit when it reports half-year results on Wednesday. Expectations are high for the Anglo-Australian miner after bumper results from Rio Tinto and Xstrata last week on the back of soaring commodity prices. Analysts at UBS have forecast underlying earnings of $10.7bn, with [...]
THE WEEK AHEAD February 13, 2011 COMPANY NEWS ● Barclays will release its full year results tomorrow. ● Miner BHP Billiton will release its half year results on Wednesday. ● French bank Societe Generale will release its fourth quarter results on Wednesday. ● On Thursday, bank BNP Paribas will release its fourth quarter results. ● BAE Systems will release its full year results on Thursday. [...]