The past month's recommended cash offers for Heritage Oil (HOIL) and Caracal Energy (CRCL) and mooted bid for Salamander Energy (SMDR) suggests that investors may wish to re-consider some of the sector's beaten-down constituents. Meanwhile, FirstEnergy Capital highlights Bankers Petroleum (BNK), Nostrum Oil & Gas (NOG), Ophir Energy (OPHR) and Tullow Oil (TLW) as possible new targets.According...

Vodafone (VOD) rises 1.2% to 224.75p after agreeingto buy Spanish cable operator Ono for £6 billion.The government's decision to extend the Help to Buy scheme for newly-built homes until 2020 has triggered a new rally in housebuilding stocks. Persimmon (PSN), Bovis Homes (BVS) and Taylor Wimpey (TW.) are the biggest risers among the FTSE large caps as investors like the idea that there will...

The furore caused by Bank of England governor Mark Carney's fudging of his 'forward guidance' policy may still be stirring plenty of comment but, Andrew Kelly, one of the lead managers at Edinburgh-based Cartesian Capital does not seem flustered one bit. The amiable Yorkshireman pays little particular heed to macroeconomics and prefers to build a picture from the bottom up and focus on...

Mother and baby retailer Mothercare (MTC), which recently rocked the market with a profit warning, moves 5.5% higher to 286.9p on a report in The Sunday Times that Tesco (TSCO) is weighing up a takeover bid.Emerging markets investment trust specialist City of London Investment Group (CLIG) rises 5.6% to 248p on the back of and relief that the dividend has been maintained despite a difficult...

The heavy participation of directors in a $200 million placing by Chad-focused oil and gas company Caracal Energy (CRCL) provides a vote of confidence in the company's prospects for 2014.Chief executive officer Gary Guidry's decision to take 150,000 shares at 450p apiece (5 Dec) means he has some material skin in the game when it comes to next year's exploration campaign. Thanks to the new...

After raising $200 million in a share placing earlier this month (8 November) Chad-focused oil producer Caracal Energy (CRCL) says it is funded for its planned developments. The market can now assess an expected ramp-up in output and an enhanced exploration programme.Specialist Canadian investment bank First Energy Capital expects output to hit 40,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) by the end...