FTSE 100 off to strong start to 2021 but Wall Street slips from record highs January 4, 2021 The FTSE 100 got the year off to a strong start today, bursting through the 6,600 point mark this morning, before closing the day up 1.8 per cent. However, Wall Street slipped back from record highs as the world’s markets got 2021 off to a fast start. In the first session of the new year [...]
FTSE inches higher after Pfizer vaccine approval but Wall Street slips December 2, 2020 The FTSE 100 inched higher today as the UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/Biontech coronavirus vaccine for use. Having opened in the red, London’s premier index was up 0.5 per cent in the early afternoon, with the FTSE 250 of mid-cap firms down 0.3 per cent. Analysts said that [...]
High court judge blocks Brazil lawsuit against BHP November 9, 2020 A landmark case brought by a Brazilian claimant group against mining giant BHP over a burst dam has been struck out by the High Court. A High Court judge in Manchester said managing the 200,000-strong claimant group would be like “trying to build a house of cards in a wind tunnel” and said the case [...]
Shell boosts dividend as oil giant beats profit forecasts October 29, 2020 Oil giant Shell beat analyst expectations for profit in the third quarter of a year, but the Anglo-Dutch firm’s income remained at historically low levels. It will also increase its dividend by four per cent, just months after slashing it by two-third, the first reduction since World War Two. The FTSE 100 firm posted $955m [...]
Shell mulls former BHP chief as new chairman October 25, 2020 Former BHP Billiton boss Sir Andrew Mackenzie is in pole position to become the next chairman of Shell, reports emerged today. Mackenzie joined the Shell board this month as a non-executive director but is expected to move into the chair soon to be vacated by Charles Holliday. The Sunday Telegraph first reported the news. The [...]
FTSE 100 and US stocks slide following central bank announcements September 17, 2020 The FTSE 100 continued trading in the red after the Bank of England announced it would keep monetary policy on hold, while Wall Street opened lower as tech stocks slumped. The blue-chip index dropped 0.7 per cent before inching up marginally to trade down 0.4 per cent after the bank said the economy’s recovery had [...]
FTSE 100 and US stocks jump after strong Chinese industrial data September 15, 2020 The FTSE 100 rose sharply and US stocks opened higher as investors reacted well to stronger-than-expected economic data from China. Britain’s main stock index was up nearly one per cent during the afternoon session at 6,085 points. The FTSE 250 index – which is made up of slightly smaller firms – climbed 0.6 per cent. [...]
FTSE 100 edges into the green as Wall Street opens higher on tech bounce September 10, 2020 The FTSE 100 edged into the green as US stocks opened higher as a bounce in tech stocks overshadowed the high number of jobless claims. London’s blue-chip index climbed 0.19 per cent after spending most of the session in the red in anticipation of the ECB’s rates decision. The FTSE 250 of smaller-cap firms rose [...]
BHP profits dip as it warns of contraction outside of China August 18, 2020 The world’s biggest mining group BHP has reported a dip in profits as it warns that major world economies outside of China will bear the brunt of the downturn. The figures BHP reported attributable profit of $8bn for the year ended 30 June, down four per cent on the previous year. Profit from operations dipped [...]
BP looks to a low carbon future after coronavirus oil carnage August 4, 2020 It’s not every day that an oil giant gets a slap on the back from Greenpeace. But that’s exactly what BP achieved this morning when it slipped out plans to produce 40 per cent less oil by the end of this decade. Alongside its second quarter results – which made ugly reading for investors, as [...]