FTSE is boosted by banks as stress test fears begin to ease July 7, 2010 BRITAIN’S leading share index ended higher after a choppy session yesterday, driven by a recovery in banking stocks on reassuring comments from US peer State Street and an easing of stress test fears. At the close, the FTSE 100 index was 49.82 points higher, or up 1.0 per cent, at 5,014.82, its high for the [...]
BEST OF THE BROKERS July 6, 2010 WM MORRISON Collins Stewart upgrades Wm Morrison to a “buy” with a new target price of 300p. Cites Morrison’s valuation relative to the European food retail peer group, strength of the balance sheet and its many strategic opportunities as key positives. Believes shares offer good value relative to peers. ATOS ORIGIN S&P maintains its “sell” [...]
Results fall short as executive pay surges July 4, 2010 REMUNERATION committees at the UK’s largest companies are demonstrating a marked failure to adequately link executive pay with performance, according to a damning new survey to be published today. While the median remuneration for chief executives at FTSE 100 companies has risen five per cent to £3.1m in the past two years, earnings per share [...]
M&S readies for investor anger on pay July 4, 2010 A STRONG set of first-quarter figures from retail bellwether Marks and Spencer this week looks set to be overshadowed by animosity at the firm’s annual shareholder meeting, with investors set to clash with executives over the eternally thorny issue of pay. Sir Stuart Rose will officially hand over the chief executive’s reins to ex-Morrisons man [...]
US HOUSING MARKET IN NEED OF HELP June 28, 2010 DAVID MORRISON CFD MARKET STRATEGIST, GFT STOCK indices have been positively correlated to movements in euro-dollar for such a long time that it is easy to forget that this wasn’t always the case. There is growing evidence that this relationship is breaking down – equities are struggling to rally, whether the euro is falling or [...]
Ocado to float June 24, 2010 ECHOES of the dotcom bubble returned to the City yesterday, as an online grocery delivery firm that has not turned a profit in 10 years confirmed it will float with an estimated value of £1bn. Ocado said it will seek to raise £200m when it floats this year and expects existing shareholders to cash in [...]
FTSE sinks to lowest level in a month as Fed’s statement makes investors nervous June 24, 2010 BRITAIN’S FTSE 100 share index fell yesterday as fears over the sustainability of a global recovery hit commodity-linked stocks and banks as risk appetite waned. The FTSE 100 closed down 78.29 points, or 1.5 per cent at 5,100.23 points, its lowest closing level in almost a month after shedding 1.3 per cent on Wednesday. A [...]
Budget brings down bank shares but delay in VAT rise gives retailers a boost June 22, 2010 WEAKER commodity stocks pulled Britain’s top share index lower yesterday, while retailers got a lift from the first emergency Budget from Britain’s new coalition government after an expected valued added tax rise was delayed. At the close, the FTSE was down 52.1 points, or 1.0 per cent, at 5,246.98, having hit its highest closing level [...]
Sainsbury’s supermarket to shuffle top jobs June 21, 2010 J SAINSBURY became the latest supermarket to shuffle its management team yesterday, in an attempt to cement its plans for long-term growth. The UK’s third-biggest grocer has promoted chief financial officer Darren Shapland to the post of group development director, overseeing business development and group strategy. Mike Coupe, currently trading director, will become the group’s [...]
Chancellor to declare the winners and losers June 21, 2010 WITH tax rises and spending cuts expected in today’s Budget, many equity strategists are advising investors to steer clear of stocks heavily reliant on UK-based revenues. Instead, contracts for difference (CFD) traders should target equities with international and private sector exposure. The emergency Budget is likely to focus on tax rises instead of detailed spending [...]