UK shares ended the week firmly in the red as markets got increasingly worried about rising coronavirus cases and the economy-damaging lockdowns that could potentially happen as a result.Health secretary Matt Hancock refused to rule out a second UK national lockdown in an interview with Sky News earlier today after the Financial Times reported that government-appointed experts had suggested a...

UK shares were lower on Friday, despite an improvement in local retail sales, as mounting cases of Covid-19 in the UK and elsewhere in Europe stoked fears of more national lockdowns.Health secretary Matt Hancock refused to rule out a second UK national lockdown in an interview with Sky News after the Financial Times reported that government-appointed experts had suggested a two-week lockdown...

UK stocks opened on the back foot on Friday with the FTSE 100 falling 0.5% to 6,017 points while the mid-cap FTSE 250 opened marginally lower.Mining shares were in demand with Fresnillo (FRES) one of the top gainers up 2% to £13.10, while International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) and Rolls Royce (RR.) were the biggest fallers losing more than 5% each.Banks were the main drag on the...

The FTSE 100 slopes underneath the 7,000 mark, down 0.7% at 6,972.62, as a number of stocks trade ex-dividend and after mixed trading on major exchanges overnight.Pay TV broadcaster Sky (SKY) ticks up 1.9% to 881.2p posts a more than 5% rise in like-for-like revenue in the first quarter of its financial year.Mining firm BHP Billiton (BLT) is down 4.5% to £11.83 after being forced to defend...

London stocks decline in quiet trade early on Wednesday as oil prices reverse gains in the previous session. Brent crude falls 1.9% to $37.06 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate drops 2.5% to $36.93 per barrel. A slump in metal prices also drags mining stocks lower, with heavyweights BHP Billiton (BLT), Glencore (GLEN) and Rio Tinto (RIO) all nudging south.The FTSE 100 index falls 40...

US biotechs in retreatDemocrat Presidential hopeful Hilary Clinton spooked the US biotech sector which endured its worst day year-to-date Monday (21 Sep) as she pledged in a tweet to take on speciality pharma and the practice of price gouging. This in turn is prompting weakness in UK pharmaceutical players like Shire (SHP) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). (TS)No growth at MerlinMerlin Entertainments...

FTSE indices got off to an underwhelming start in an equities story repeated across Europe, but Wall Street and Asia firmed overnight. Miners are in northbound focus. Traders are looking to the US Federal Open Market Committee's statement at 7pm tonight.The FTSE 100 index slips 15 points lower in early trade on Thursday to 6,215, while midcaps and smaller companies post similarly modest...

After a slow start to trading on Tuesday London stocks rally into positive territory, though gains remains modest with a blend of falling financial and retail stocks being offset by gains among mining and oil issues. US and Asian markets were lower overnight. The benchmark FTSE 100 index is up around 13 points, 0.17%, at 7,077, having pulled back in yesterday's session from the all-time...

London's FTSE 100 index is closing in on breaking through the 7,000 mark on Tuesday as positive economic data and solid blue-chip corporate news push UK markets to another record high. The Footsie gains 16 points, or 0.2%, to 6,957, nearing the intraday all-time high of 6,974.26 hit on Monday.The index is leader board is headed by oil group Tullow Oil (TLW) and drinks giant SAB Miller (SAB),...

London market recover their air of optimism in morning trade Wednesday, the benchmark FTSE 100 rising 43 points to 6,445 but attention will quickly turn to the US. Investors are likely to focus on the US Federal Open Market Committee's statement tonight, and whether it will extend quantitative easing or end it this month as planned.Miners stud the blue-chip leader board, headed by Randgold...