FTSE 100 rises despite housebuilders’ fears over new tax – London Report November 26, 2015 George Osborne’s announcement yesterday that he plans to raise property tax for those who buy a house in order to rent it and on second homes curtailed hefty gains made by housebuilders. However, in general, investors signalled their approval of the chancellor’s Autumn Statement, with the blue-chip FTSE 100 index finishing one per cent higher [...]
FTSE 100 index opens higher as housebuilders rally on chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement national housing budget plans November 25, 2015 The FTSE 100 index was up in mid-morning trading, led by housebuilders which cheered chancellor George Osborne's plans to double the national housing budget when he presents his five-year spending plan later today. The UK's top blue-chip index rose 0.82 per cent to 6,329 points. Persimmon led the index higher, its share price rising 6.06 per cent to 1,890p [...]
Vote with your wallet: It’s time to turn shoppers into investors November 16, 2015 It frustrates me that consumers are so valued as shoppers, yet so underserved when it comes to putting money to work in other ways. From the moment we are born, we are marketed to thousands of times a day, “trained” as consumers through hundreds of billions of pounds in advertising, yet are left to our [...]
FTSE closes up despite losses from Sainsbury – London Report November 12, 2015 FALLS in supermarket, miner and housebuilders’ shares yesterday did not prevent the FTSE 100 rising marginally. The UK’s blue-chip index rose 0.35 per cent to 6,297 points. The largest casualty, by some way, was Sainsbury, which reported profits had slumped 18 per cent and slashed its interim dividend by a third. Sainsbury’s group sales were down [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 closes marginally up despite losses from Sainsbury, housebuilders and miners November 11, 2015 The FTSE 100 rose marginally on Wednesday, despite by falls in Supermarkets, miners and housebuilders. The UK's top blue-chip index rose 0.35 per cent to 6,297 points. The largest casualty, by some way, was Sainsbury, which today reported profits had slumped 18 per cent and slashed its interim dividend by a third. Sainsbury's group sales were down two per [...]
Barratt Developments shares fall despite 20 per cent jump in sales November 11, 2015 Shares in Barratt Developments fell this morning despite Britain’s biggest housebuilder reporting a strong start to the autumn selling season thanks to “high levels of consumer demand” across all regions. Forward sales (including joint ventures) jumped by 20.7 per cent to £2.5bn across 11,033 plots in the 19 weeks to 8 November compared with £2.07bn [...]
UK unemployment figures set to be in the spotlight – London Report November 8, 2015 Following the US jobs report on Friday, UK investors will focus on Wednesday’s release of the September employment report and October’s tally for the claimant count. They will be published alongside a raft of secondtier indicators on retail sales and house prices. Today, funeral operator Dignity is expected to reveal a jump in revenues when [...]
Mining giants bounce back to push up FTSE 100 – London Report November 5, 2015 The FTSE 100 ended yesterday’s session slightly higher, boosted by gains in mining companies and Marks and Spencer. The UK’s blue-chip index ended the day 0.46 per cent up at 6,412 points. The day’s biggest riser was Glencore, the embattled mining giant, which has been struggling to reassure investors worried about the size of its [...]
Rally in energy stocks helps FTSE to end up – London Report November 4, 2015 A late rally in energy stocks on the back of strong crude oil prices yesterday helped to outpace weaker banks – particularly Standard Chartered – and lift the FTSE 100. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index ended 0.3 per cent higher at 6,383.61 points, helped by a 3.3 per cent jump in the UK Oil and [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 marginally up despite slides from housebuilders and Standard Chartered November 3, 2015 The FTSE 100 closed marginally up on Tuesday after energy stocks rallied to counter to slides in housebuilders' stocks and Standard Chartered's share price. The FTSE 100 ended the session 0.2 per cent up at 6,374. Housebuilders were hit after being downgraded by Liberum, a broker, to "sell" saying the largest housebuilders' valuations were "too optimistic". Barratt [...]