Cobus Loots, CEO of Pan African Resources, on delivering sector-leading returns for shareholders. Watch the video here.

Less Ads, More Data, More Tools Register for FREE

Pin to quick picksRDSA.L Share News (RDSA)

  • There is currently no data for RDSA

Watchlists are a member only feature

Login to your account

Alerts are a premium feature

Login to your account

London open: Banking stocks limit upside as markets open flat

Mon, 20th Jan 2014 08:18

- Banks fall after Deutsche Bank Q4 loss- US markets closed for MLK Jr day- Chinese data points to slowdowntechMARK 2,857.04 +0.21%FTSE 100 6,828.28 -0.01%FTSE 250 16,219.04 +0.20%UK equities opened more or less flat on Monday on what is set to be a quiet day with Wall Street closed later on for Martin Luther King Jr Day."Not only will this mean lower trading volumes as traders take an extended weekend, it also means there will be fewer catalysts as there will be no economic releases or corporate earnings from the US today," said Market Analyst Craig Erlam from Alpari.Nevertheless, markets were still under pressure early on after a raft of data from China signalled that growth had slowed down towards the end of last year.Weakness among banking stocks was also limiting upside in London this morning as the FTSE 100 opened flat after hitting a fresh eight-month high of 6,829.30 on Friday - its best closing level since May 22nd 2013.Markets across Europe were in the red this morning after German heavyweight Deutsche Bank unveiled a surprise loss for the fourth quarter, reporting a "nasty set of numbers which have geared investors here in Europe for what could be an ugly earnings season for European banks", said Market Strategist Ishaq Siddiqi from ETX Capital.Slowdown in ChinaAsian markets were broadly lower overnight after data showed that Chinese gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at a year-on-year rate of 7.7% in the fourth quarter of 2013, slightly ahead of the 7.6% growth expected but down from 7.8% the previous quarter.That means that GDP growth levelled out to 7.7% during 2013 as a whole, the same as 2012. Economists, however, predict a further slowdown in 2014 to 7.4% which will represent China's slowest rate of expansion since 1990.In other economic data, the annual pace of Chinese industrial production growth also eased in December to 9.7%, from 10% previously and below forecasts. Retail sales growth, meanwhile, slowed to 13.6% from 13.7%, though this was in line with expectations.Banks under pressureRBS was among the worst performers early on after analysts at JPMorgan Cazenove downgraded the stock to 'underweight'.Sentiment among banks was also dampened this morning by a fourth-quarter report from Deutsche Bank - released 10 days earlier than expected -which revealed a pre-tax loss of €1.153bn. The bank said that litigation costs and restructuring weighed on results, as well as a sharp fall in fixed income revenue.Barclays, Lloyds, HSBC and Standard Chartered were also in the red.Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell was also lower after agreeing to sell its stake in the Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project in Western Australia for nearly $1.4bn in an effort to improve capital efficiency. This comes after the company disappointed investors with a big profit warning on Friday.Others in the resources sector, such as mining peers Antofagasta, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, were also unwanted as markets reacted to the latest figures from top metals consumer China.Diageo and SABMiller were on the rise as M&A activity continues to pick up in the global drinks industry. Just a few days after whisky maker Beam was bought for $16bn by Suntory, it was announced that AB InBev is buying back South Korean brewer Oriental Brewery for $5.8bn.FTSE 100 - RisersWeir Group (WEIR) 2,212.00p +3.51%Fresnillo (FRES) 748.50p +2.25%ARM Holdings (ARM) 1,002.00p +1.31%Next (NXT) 6,225.00p +1.30%British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSY) 850.50p +1.25%Amec (AMEC) 1,058.00p +1.24%Melrose Industries (MRO) 311.80p +1.17%ITV (ITV) 205.30p +1.03%Pearson (PSON) 1,293.00p +1.02%Wolseley (WOS) 3,502.00p +1.01%FTSE 100 - FallersBarclays (BARC) 284.20p -1.52%Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 359.70p -1.10%Royal Dutch Shell 'A' (RDSA) 2,152.50p -1.01%Royal Dutch Shell 'B' (RDSB) 2,259.50p -0.88%Rio Tinto (RIO) 3,355.00p -0.83%Antofagasta (ANTO) 840.00p -0.77%HSBC Holdings (HSBA) 673.40p -0.63%Tullow Oil (TLW) 901.00p -0.61%Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 83.02p -0.60%British Land Co (BLND) 660.00p -0.60%FTSE 250 - RisersNMC Health (NMC) 484.90p +3.59%Polymetal International (POLY) 554.50p +2.88%WH Smith (SMWH) 1,017.00p +2.42%Perform Group (PER) 251.00p +2.20%Imagination Technologies Group (IMG) 200.80p +1.98%Restaurant Group (RTN) 639.00p +1.83%Bodycote (BOY) 720.50p +1.62%Genesis Emerging Markets Fund Ltd Ptg NPV (GSS) 503.00p +1.39%Betfair Group (BET) 1,021.00p +1.39%Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) 461.20p +1.36%FTSE 250 - FallersBank of Georgia Holdings (BGEO) 2,336.00p -2.22%Petra Diamonds Ltd.(DI) (PDL) 122.20p -1.85%Ferrexpo (FXPO) 178.30p -1.82%Evraz (EVR) 102.20p -1.73%FirstGroup (FGP) 138.80p -1.70%ICAP (IAP) 446.30p -1.33%Spectris (SXS) 2,387.00p -1.08%Premier Oil (PMO) 284.80p -1.04%Daejan Holdings (DJAN) 4,671.00p -1.02%Genus (GNS) 1,397.00p -0.99%BC
More News
20 Jan 2022 12:01

LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: FTSE 100 stalls as AB Foods drags on index

LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: FTSE 100 stalls as AB Foods drags on index

Read more
20 Jan 2022 09:54

UPDATE 2-Oil stocks, GSK weakness pull FTSE 100 lower; Deliveroo jumps

(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock markets, click LIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window)* Deliveroo fourth-quarter order growth jumps* Premier Foods top midcap gainer on strong profit outlook* Unilever abandons plan to buy GSK's ...

Read more
19 Jan 2022 21:37

Shell to carry out Pernis, Netherlands oil refinery maintenance until end of June

AMSTERDAM, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell said on Wednesday it plans to carry out major maintenance work at its Pernis oil refinery in the Netherlands in the coming five months."We will inspect a large number of installations from the insid...

Read more
19 Jan 2022 08:56

LONDON MARKET OPEN: FTSE 100 steady despite UK inflation intensifying

LONDON MARKET OPEN: FTSE 100 steady despite UK inflation intensifying

Read more
18 Jan 2022 17:05

LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Stocks fall on worries over higher interest rates

LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Stocks fall on worries over higher interest rates

Read more
18 Jan 2022 13:08

UPDATE 1-Norway awards 53 new petroleum production licences

(Adds detail, quotes)OSLO, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Norway awarded 53 new petroleum production licences on the Norwegian continental shelf in the latest licensing round for mature areas, the oil and energy ministry said on Tuesday.Stakes were offered to...

Read more
18 Jan 2022 13:00

Angry investors seek to appoint board member to Third Point UK fund

LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Activist investors in Third Point's London-listed fund want independent director Richard Boleat appointed to the board to improve corporate governance, they said in a letter to shareholders on Tuesday.Third Point Investo...

Read more
18 Jan 2022 12:51

UPDATE 2-Climate activists lose court case against UK oil regulator

(Adds reaction from government minister)By Shadia NasrallaLONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - A UK High Court on Tuesday threw out a case brought by climate activists against the country's oil and gas regulator OGA, rejecting their argument that the OGA's ...

Read more
18 Jan 2022 12:51

UPDATE 1-Climate activists lose court case against UK oil regulator

(Add climate activists' response)By Shadia NasrallaLONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - A UK High Court on Tuesday threw out a case brought by climate activists against the country's oil and gas regulator OGA, rejecting their argument that the OGA's actions...

Read more
18 Jan 2022 12:14

LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Markets red as inflation worries return to fore

LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Markets red as inflation worries return to fore

Read more
18 Jan 2022 09:44

LONDON BROKER RATINGS: Goldman Sachs raises BT to Conviction Buy

LONDON BROKER RATINGS: Goldman Sachs raises BT to Conviction Buy

Read more
18 Jan 2022 09:03

LONDON MARKET OPEN: FTSE 100 slips despite oil boosting BP and Shell

LONDON MARKET OPEN: FTSE 100 slips despite oil boosting BP and Shell

Read more
17 Jan 2022 10:33

UPDATE 2-Oil majors, Iberdrola among winners set to harness Scottish wind

(Updates throughout)By Nina ChestneyLONDON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Utility Iberdrola and oil majors BP and Shell are among companies offered seabed rights to develop offshore wind projects in the first tender of its kind in over a decade, Crown Estate...

Read more
17 Jan 2022 10:33

UPDATE 3-Scottish wind sale nets nearly $1 billion with Shell, BP among winners

(Adds comment from Shell, BP, analysts)By Nina ChestneyLONDON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - BP, Shell and utility Iberdrola were among the winners of seabed rights to develop Scottish offshore wind projects, in an auction which raised nearly 700 million pou...

Read more
17 Jan 2022 10:33

UPDATE 1-Crown Estate Scotland offers 17 projects seabed rights for offshore wind

(Adds more detail)By Nina ChestneyLONDON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Crown Estate Scotland said on Monday it has offered seabed right agreements to 17 projects in its ScotWind leasing round which is aimed at supporting wind energy development.Out of 74 ap...

Read more

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.

Quickpicks are a member only feature

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.