Latest Investment News
The latest news on equities, commodities, and bonds:
September 2, 2008
European equities markets saw gains Tuesday on declines in crude oil prices.
In London, the FTSE 100 added 0.32 percent to 5,620.7 while the FTSE 250 gained 1.43 percent to 9,543.6.
Home builders were higher after Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced a £1 billion iniative to help the housing market and suspended the stamp tax on home purchases under £175,000, with Taylor ...
PM announcement helps Taylor Wimpey, other builders
by Elaine Frei
August 28, 2008
European equities markets saw gains Thursday after the US Commerce Department reported that the US economy grew by 3.3 percent in the second quarter of the year.
In London the FTSE 100 added 1.32 percent to 5,601.2 while the FTSE 250 gained 1.47 percent to 9,271.7.
With their biggest markets in the United States, building materials group Wolseley (LSE: WOS) ...
Building materials group Wolseley helped by US economic growth
by Elaine Frei
The BBC fudges savings vs investments report
by Brian Turner
August 27, 2008
Research by Thomson-Reuters Lipper, commissioned by the BBC, has found that savers investing their money in savings accounts have benefited rather than investing in UK stocks and shares.
The research found that if £1,000 was invested at the start of the decade, it would now be worth £1,094 in an average UK unit trust compared to £1,358 in a typical savings account.
The ...
Savings outperform stocks and shares
by Kay Murchie
Taylor Wimpey declines on first-half losses
by Elaine Frei
August 26, 2008
European equities markets were mixed Tuesday.
In London, the FTSE 100 was down 0.63 percent to 5,470.7 and the FTSE 250 dropped 0.53 percent to 9,133.6 as base metals prices declined, sending shares in miners lower.
Iron ore producers led miners lower, with Ferrexpo (LSE: FXPO) down 10.7 percent for the biggest decline on the 100 while International Ferro Metals (LSE: ...
Ferrexpo, International Ferro lead miners, London markets lower
by Elaine Frei
August 25, 2008
European equities markets were lower Monday on worries about economic slowdowns as London markets closed for their summer bank holiday.
The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was 0.56 percent lower to 1,169.17 as the Dax was down 0.72 percent to 6,296.95, the CAC-40 fell 1.01 percent to 4,355.87 and the IBEX dropped 1.48 percent to 11,327.1.
Chipmakers lead both the CAC-40 and the Dax as ...
Infineon, STMicroelectronics lead semiconductors sector higher
by Elaine Frei
August 22, 2008
European equities markets saw gains Friday as banks saw gains on the possibility that Korea Development Bank might buy into Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH) and as airlines and carmakers jumped on declines in oil prices.
In London, the FTSE 100 added 2.52 percent to 5,505.6 while the FTSE 250 gained 2.73 percent to 9,182.7.
In the insurance sector, Benfield Group Ltd (LSE: BFD) lead the 250 higher with ...
Bids news lifts insurer Benfield
by Elaine Frei
August 21, 2008
Most European equities markets saw declines Thursday as investors remained worried about losses related to the credit crisis after Citigroup (NYSE: C; TYO: 8710) forecast that Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) will have to write down as much as $6.4 billion collectively in the third quarter.
London’s markets were mixed, with the FTSE 100 ...
Barratt, Persimmon lead house builders higher
by Elaine Frei
August 20, 2008
European equities markets saw gains Wednesday as miners, chipmakers and the steel sector saw gains.
In London the FTSE 100 added 0.97 percent to 5,371.8 while the FTSE 250 gained 0.33 percent to 8,897.3.
Miners saw gains on advances in metals prices, as Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) led the 100 with a gain of 7.43 percent and BHP Billiton (LSE: BLT; NYSE: BHP; ...
Miner Rio Tinto gains 7.43 percent
by Elaine Frei
August 19, 2008
European equities markets were lower again Tuesday .
In London, the FTSE 100 was down 2.38 percent to 5,320.4 while the FTSE 250 dropped 2.81 percent to 8,867.6.
House builders, the related buildings materials sector and the real estate sector were all lower as Wolseley (LSE: WOS) led decliners on the 100 with a drop of 8.62 percent and house builder Taylor Wimpey ...
Wolseley leads building materials groups lower
by Elaine Frei
August 18, 2008
European equities markets declined Monday after house prices in the UK declined, which hurt banks and retailers and renewed concerns that the UK could be close to recession, and after crude oil prices rose during the European session before retreating again.
In London, the FTSE 100 was down 0.08 percent to 5,450.2 while the FTSE 250 dropped 0.77 ...
Rightmove drops 4.45 percent as it reports house price declines
by Elaine Frei
alburaq launches unique savings plan
by Kay Murchie
August 13, 2008
European equities markets were down Wednesday as investors feared more losses for banks, as UK unemployment grew, and after crude oil prices saw gains.
The FTSE 100 was down 1.55 percent to 5,448.6 in London, while the FTSE 250 dropped 1.96 percent to 8,109.5.
Homebuilders were lower as Barratt Developments (LSE: BDEV) was down 15.31 percent and Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW) ...
Barratt Developments down 15 percent in homebuilder declines
by Elaine Frei
August 12, 2008
European equities markets were lower Tuesday on concerns about more write downs related to credit markets.
In London, the FTSE 100 fell 0.13 percent to 5,534.5 while the FTSE 250 dropped 0.99 percent to 9,291.2.
Some UK homebuilders suffered declines after Dresdner Kleinwort issued negative comments in regards to the sector.
Bovis Homes (LSE: BVS), which added 9.65 percent yesterday, was down ...
House builder losses on broker comment led by Bellway
by Elaine Frei
August 11, 2008
European equities markets saw gains Monday on positive quarterly reports and on last week’s declines in commodities prices.
In London, the FTSE 100 added 0.96 percent to 5,541.8 while the FTSE 250 gained 1.98 percent to 9,384.1.
The 250 gained on major gains in the house building sector after a US capital management group bought 1 million shares in Barratt ...
Barratt Developments leads 250 with nearly 24 percent gain
by Elaine Frei
August 8, 2008
If there's one thing US analysts seem to enjoy at the moment, it's downgrading US financials.
It's no surprise that the very companies most actively shorting financials should then release doom and gloom analyses, undermining these further.
And in an almost tit-for-tat battle, analysts at different banks have been downgrading each other continually over the summer.
A cheap target for ...
MBIA and Ambac: the underdogs you can’t keep down
by Brian Turner
British Airways leads FTSE 100, travel shares higher
by Elaine Frei
August 5, 2008
European equities markets saw gains Tuesday after the banking and airlines sectors produced positive earnings reports and broker upgrades.
In London, the FTSE 100 added 2.52 percent to 5,454.5 while the FTSE 250 gained 3.28 percent to 9,075.7 on Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) upgrades in the pharmaceuticals and airlines sectors.
Drug maker AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN; NYSE: AZN) jumped 2.49 ...
Drug maker AstraZeneca sees gains on broker upgrade
by Elaine Frei
August 4, 2008
European equities markets were lower Monday as new data showed that US consumer prices were up while after-tax incomes were down in June.
In London, miners were lower after copper prices fell, with the FTSE 100 falling 0.64 percent to 5,320.2 while the FTSE 250 was down 0.59 percent to 8,787.4.
The top five losers on the 100 were all miners, with ...
International Ferro Metals leads London miners lower
by Elaine Frei
