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  • HMV like-for-like sales rise 1.3%

    Friday 05 Sep 2008

    Music, films and games retailer HMV said its plans are in line with expectations as it saw like-for-like sales rise 1.3% in the 18 weeks to August 2008.

  • Profit tumbles at JD Wetherspoon

    Friday 05 Sep 2008

    The economic slowdown and last July’s smoking ban in England have conspired to drop full-year pre-tax profit by 12.7% at pub group JD Wetherspoon.

  • London midday: Waiting for Wall Street

    Friday 05 Sep 2008

    Prices are holding steady at lower levels, though investors may be waiting for a lead from Wall Street which, in turn, is waiting for non-farm payrolls data.

Market Buzz

Market overview: FTSE 100 down 62
Friday 05 Sep 2008

1320: Footsie remains stuck lower, with miners the main drag after copper prices fell. Ferrexpo leads the mining sector lower after prices for the red metal dropped as inventories rose. RSA Insurance still leads the risers, helped by bid talk. Real estate stocks Land Securities and Hammerson are doing well as are defensively-oriented companies such as the water group Severn Trent and drug group GlaxoSmithKline. FTSE 100 down 62 at 5,299.

1110: Losses in the mining and banking sectors keep Footsie lower. Ukraine-focused iron ore specialist Ferrexpo is the heaviest faller. Barclays leads banks lower. RSA Insurance Group is the biggest gainer, helped by continued bid speculation. In the FTSE 250, business publisher Informa falls back after it rejected a reduced 450p a share offer from a private equity consortium that it says “significantly undervalues” the group. FTSE 100 down 57 at 5,304.

1005: Footsie has slumped further into the red with miners now joining banks among the heaviest fallers. Kazakhstan's ENRC leads the mining sector lower in line with weaker metals prices. Crude prices have also slipped, helping the fuel-thirsty airline British Airways, but curiously oil stocks BP and BG Group are among the risers. FTSE 100 down 80 at 5,281.

Comment & Analysis

Article Image

Small Cap Focus: Asterand in focus after e...

Thursday 04 Sep 2008

Asterand shares doubled on the back of its recent licensing deal with US eye care giant Allergan, but that should not overshadow the good prospects for its core human tissue supply business.

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Market Reports

Company News

  • HMV like-for-like sales rise 1.3%

    Friday 05 Sep 2008

    Music, films and games retailer HMV said its plans are in line with expectations as it saw like-for-like sales rise 1.3% in the 18 weeks to August 2008.

Expert Views

Indebted UK

If there is one area where we have managed to beat our American cousins in a league table it would appear to be with our accumulation of debt – unsecured personal debt.

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