The UK’s leading shares traded flat at midday as earlier gains evaporated as a darker mood settled over investors at lunchtime, offsetting strong results from US technology stocks overnight and mixed earnings commentaries from major UK firms. The benchmark FTSE 100 was trading virtually flat at midday, nudging 0.04% lower to 5,987.63, with massive losses reported by British Airways-owner ...

Founder and chief executive of household appliance seller AO World (AO.), John Roberts, has upped his stake in the FTSE 250 firm after buying another £1.5 million worth of shares. Roberts, who set up AO in 2000, bought around 882,000 shares earlier this week at an average price of 168.9p each, and now holds a 22.8% stake. It comes after a strong period for the online retailer, which has ...

Shareholders in NatWest (NWG) must be thanking their lucky stars that markets are in a forgiving mood heading into the weekend as shares in the high street lender traded sideways at 106p despite a hike in bad loan charges. Considering the 6% drubbing handed out to holders of Barclays (BARC) on Monday and the 7% collapse in shares of Lloyds (LLOY) yesterday, taking them to new eight-year ...

British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) reported an overall operating loss of €4 billion in the first half of 2020. That compared to a €1.01 billion operating profit in the first half of 2019. Shares in the troubled airline operator tumbled 8.5% to 165.83p on Friday after reporting a deluge of financial and operating data, confirmed the widely anticipated €2.75 ...

Global cigarette giant British American Tobacco (BATS) rose 1.9% to £27.06 on Friday despite missing first-half earnings estimates, after the Dunhill-to-Lucky Strike brand owner said it had sold more higher-priced cigarettes and seen strong demand for vaping products in its biggest market, the US. ‘BAT’ insisted consumption in the US was ‘resilient’, while also maintaining guidance for ...

UK stocks headed into the weekend on a firmer note after strong results from US technology stocks overnight and generally upbeat earnings commentaries from major UK firms. Sales updates from US tech giants Alphabet (which owns Google), Amazon, Apple and Facebook all beat market expectations, demonstrating the strength of their businesses during the pandemic and leading to renewed gains for the ...

Investors pulled money out of shares throughout Thursday as the bad news amid the coronavirus crisis kept on rolling in. A slew of company updates showed big losses from some firms as the effects of the pandemic become clear, with banking group Lloyds (LLOY) and oil giant Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) reporting particularly large losses. Then the UK government announced it was increasing the ...

Oil major Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) posted an $18.1 billion loss in the second quarter after feeling the pinch from the slump in sale prices of oil and liquefied  natural gas (LNG). This included running up impairment charges of $16.8 billion post-tax or $22.3 billion pre-tax, as a result of ‘revised medium- and long-term price and refining margin outlook assumptions in response to the ...

The FTSE 100 dropped sharply by lunchtime after companies’ financial reports revealed the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on their earnings, with Lloyds (LLOY) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) in particular posting big losses. Also weighing on the stock market was confirmation from the Government of an extension to the isolation period for those with coronavirus symptoms from seven days ...

Mining giant Anglo American (AAL) has halved its interim dividend after its earnings in the first half of the year took a major blow due to the coronavirus pandemic. Its shares fell 4% to £18.94 following its decision to reduce its interim shareholder payout to $0.28 per share, compared to $0.62 per share last year, consistent with its policy of paying out 40% of earnings. It comes as the ...