FTSE 100 movers: Standard Life soars after beating analyst expectations
Date: Wednesday 24 Apr 2013
Insurance giant Standard Life was a strong riser after beating analysts' predictions in the first quarter after delivering strong sales and group assets under administration.
London midday: Stocks flat as ECB rate cut speculation ramps up
Date: Wednesday 24 Apr 2013
Stocks had trimmed gains and were trading broadly flat by Wednesday lunchtime as markets gave a mixed reaction to weak economic data from Germany with traders guessing at whether the figures will prompt the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut interest rates.
Shares of the country´s leading retailer, Marks&Spencer, have risen by a quarter since The Telegraph´s Questor team recommended that readers hold on to the stock, last July. Yet this has been due to a rising market and intermittent “chatter” of a possible ‘take-over’ bid. First off, Questor takes the latter with a pinch of salt. Further, the company´s latest trading update, while better-than-expected, shows that the firm still has much left to do.