At the close: FTSE 100 index rises on pharmaceuticals December 2, 2015 The FTSE 100 index closed up last night, buoyed by pharmaceuticals that were given a boost from a Morgan Stanley note supporting AstraZeneca. The UK’s top blue-chip index closed up 0.4 per cent, at 6,420.93 points. Shire led the pack higher, closing 2.35 per cent up at 4,745p per share, while GlaxoSmithKline ended the session [...]
Winners and losers of this year’s FTSE quarterly reshuffles: Morrison, Worldpay and Hikma Pharmaceuticals December 2, 2015 The FTSE index's last quarterly reshuffle of this year has rolled round, and it could conclude with a bang, as reports suggest embattled high street supermarket Morrison will be given the shove. The other companies being moved to the FTSE 250 index are reportedly security firm G4S and engineering group Meggitt. Worldpay, the payments firm [...]
Morrisons supermarket reportedly set to exit the FTSE 100 index December 1, 2015 Struggling supermarket Morrisons will reportedly be booted out of the FTSE 100 index tomorrow as part of its quarterly shake up. The Bradford based company has been nudging the bottom of the table for the last 12 months and just managed to dodge relegation in the last reshuffle. Latest update: Morrisons is kicked out of the FTSE [...]
Pound dips as UK manufacturing stalls in November, missing expectations December 1, 2015 The pound dipped to as low as €1.4236 this morning, after figures showed the UK's manufacturing sector stalled in November. The CIPS/Markit Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 52.7 in November, from 55.2 the month below. Although it was above the 50 mark which denotes expansion, the figure was still well below consensus of 53.6. However, [...]
Stocking up on Christmas booze? Marks & Spencer is the best supermarket for wine – while Morrisons comes second December 1, 2015 Marks & Spencer has retained its crown as the best supermarket wine retailer for the second year running – but if you're stocking up on Christmas booze, you could do a lot worse than head to Morrisons, which came second in the medal table at this year's International Wine Challenge (IWC). M&S came first in [...]
FTSE 100 demotions and promotions: G4S and Meggitt face fall and Worldpay, Provident Financial and DCC eye upwards move in December quarterly review November 30, 2015 Outsourcing giant G4S faces relegation from the FTSE 100 along with engineering firm Meggitt. The pair face the chop from the prestigious index of the leading companies listed in the UK when it comes up for renewal this week. On the other foot, it's newly listed Worldpay which could take their place with a promotion, as could [...]
The apprenticeships levy is a bad policy – and not just because it’s a tax on the lowest-skilled November 29, 2015 Real apprenticeships provide skills which workers can take to other employers and obtain a wage higher than they would have earned otherwise. Historically, they were paid for by binding young employees (with legal sanctions for breaking the agreement) to work for a fixed period with very low pay, and often with an upfront payment from [...]
Morrisons in danger of falling out of FTSE 100 as blue-chip index comes up for renewal November 29, 2015 Supermarket Morrisons is in danger relegation from the FTSE 100 list of Britain’s biggest companies as the prestigious blue-chip index comes up for renewal this week. Morrisons has been hovering near the bottom of the index over the last year and narrowly avoided being kicked out in the last quarterly reshuffles in June and September. Its share price has fallen by [...]
Gold falls to a near six-year low on strong dollar and expectations for a US interest rate rise in December November 27, 2015 Gold slipped to its lowest level in nearly six years today, as it headed for its sixth straight weekly decline. The precious metal has come under pressure from a strong dollar and heightened expectations that the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade at its meeting in December. Spot [...]
Forget Black Friday bargains and Cyber Monday sales – 2015 should be all about Giving Tuesday November 26, 2015 On one particular day during last year’s Christmas shopping season a phenomenon from across the Atlantic really took hold in the UK for the first time. Businesses lined up to get involved, pounds were spent in their millions, social media went into a frenzy, and even the Prime Minister was talking about it. This year [...]