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May 2012 UK Share Price and Stock Market News Archive
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Spain woes drive investors out
31 May at 6 PMStory Link: Spain woes drive investors out
Worries over the Spanish financial situation have triggered losses for stakes across the EU and the US, as investors have switched to safe haven investments, including German and US government bonds.
In the meantime, the indicative price of borrowing for Spain went up as investors agonised over its deficit. The European Commission said...
Facebook shares drop under $29
30 May at 6 PMStory Link: Facebook shares drop under $29
For the first time since its flotation, shares in Facebook have dropped below $29 to a new low. Less than two weeks ago, the shares were launched at $38 during its high-profile flotation, which placed the firm at $104 billion (£66 billion) in value.
Ever since then, Facebook's stakes have lost nearly one-quarter of their value. Russia's...
Record low shares for Japanese chipmaker Renesas
29 May at 4 PMStory Link: Record low shares for Japanese chipmaker Renesas
Amid reports that it will cut jobs to increase profits, Japanese chipmaker Renesas is seeing its shares drop to a record low. Newspaper reports and analysts say that Renesas will attempt to raise 100 billion yen (£828 millio; $1.3 billion), sell off some units and cut over 10,000 jobs.
Renesas produces chips used in automobiles and is...
Bankia stakes suspended with reports of bailout request
28 May at 6 PMStory Link: Bankia stakes suspended with reports of bailout request
Shares trading of Spain's Bankia in Madrid has been suspended. Before a board meeting this afternoon, Bankia asked for its shares to be suspended in order to reformulate its 2011 accounts and write up a plan to support its finances.
Bankia has now formally asked the Spanish government for a bailout package of 19 billionn euros ($24...
Stocks see gains as euro drops
25 May at 6 PMStory Link: Stocks see gains as euro drops
On Thursday, global stocks saw gains as the euro dropped on data suggesting that Europe's debt crisis was exacerbating a global economic slowdown, which added to investor woes about Greece's possible departure from the eurozone.
It was a volatile session, as investors seeking for bargains first bought oil, gold, and equities, which were...
Stock markets suffer over Greece
24 May at 6 PMStory Link: Stock markets suffer over Greece
Stock markets have sharply dropped ahead of a European Union meeting, while concerns rise over Greece's potential exit from the euro. Shares dropped after a report cited ex Greek PM Lucas Papademos saying that Greece’s government might be preparing to leave the euro.
Italian markets closed down by 3.7%, while Spanish markets dropped by...
FB shares drop again with flotation concerns
23 May at 6 PMStory Link: FB shares drop again with flotation concerns
Facebook's flotation has become more controversial amid reports of worries over the way advisers unveiled information to investors.
While Facebook shares dropped another 9% last Tuesday, regulators said they may look over the disclosure process to find out if some investors were given favourable access. Regulatory body FINRA and the SEC...
Facebook shares finish 11 percent under flotation price
22 May at 6 PMStory Link: Facebook shares finish 11 percent under flotation price
Shares in Facebook finished below the price where they were floated, amid concerns that the newly-listed firm can truly live up to investor expectations.
The shares first appeared on the Nasdaq exchange at $38 on Friday, but finished down by 11% on Monday. Some experts said that shares would have dropped on Friday if underwriters had not...
EU markets suffer over Greek and Spanish woes
21 May at 6 PMStory Link: EU markets suffer over Greek and Spanish woes
European markets experienced a jittery session last Friday as worries raged on over Spain and Greece. Spain's Ibex index was able to recover after losing over 2 percent early on, finishing the day a little higher.
Investors transferred money into German bonds, seen as a low-risk move, while oil prices dropped, indicating global economic...
Facebook prices shares in $100 billion flotation
18 May at 6 PMStory Link: Facebook prices shares in $100 billion flotation
As reported by the BBC, social network giant Facebook has valued share prices for its highly-anticipated share flotation. The company announced on Thursday that it had priced shares at $38 each, and would begin trading them in New York on Friday.
At this value, the eight-year-old company will be worth $104 billion. Demand is expected to be...
25% more Facebook shares on offer
17 May at 6 PMStory Link: 25% more Facebook shares on offer
As reported by the BBC, in response to strong demand, social network Facebook has announced plans to sell 25 percent more shares than initially planned in its flotation.
The decision comes one day following the company’s announcement that it would raise its share prices by 21 percent, increasing it to between $34 to $38 per share. The...
Asian stakes drop with Greece political uncertainty
16 May at 6 PMStory Link: Asian stakes drop with Greece political uncertainty
As reported by the BBC, Asian shares have dropped after Monday's declines in the US and the EU, as political uncertainty in Greece has caused many investors to seek less risky assets. South Korea's Kospi finished down by 0.77% to 1,898.96, while Japan's Nikkei 225 index ended down by 0.8% at 8,900.74.
Asian market shares had been lower...
Shares drop with Greece uncertainty
15 May at 3 PMStory Link: Shares drop with Greece uncertainty
As reported by the BBC, stocks have fallen around the globe as Greece's sustained political uncertainty challenges investor confidence.
Still struggling to create a coalition government, Greece is faced with the threat of holding new elections, as EU leaders convened in Brussels.
Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker said that Greece outside...
Sony stakes fall to 31 year low with record losses
14 May at 6 PMStory Link: Sony stakes fall to 31 year low with record losses
As reported by the BBC, shares at Sony have fallen to a 31-year low, just one day after the firm reported a record yearly loss of 456.7 billion yen ($5.7 billion; £3.5 billion).
At the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the company’s shares fell as far as 6.7 percent to 1,132 yen. Sony, which has been seeing a loss for the past four years, is...
JP Morgan announces 2bn dollar trading loss
11 May at 6 PMStory Link: JP Morgan announces 2bn dollar trading loss
As reported by the BBC, the largest US bank, JPMorgan Chase, has announced a shocking trading loss of, at minimum, $2 billion (£1.2 billion) on its traders' complex investments.
CEO Jamie Dimon is pointing his fingers at "sloppiness and bad judgement", warning that the situation could get worse. The hedging strategy, which is...
Toyota profits up with disaster recovery
10 May at 6 PMStory Link: Toyota profits up with disaster recovery
As reported by the BBC, fourth quarter profits for Toyota have increased five-fold as the US car market picks up and the recovery from the 2011 natural disasters continue.
The company's net profit was 121 billion yen ($1.5 billion; £940 million) during the three months leading up to the end of March--a jump from 25.4 billion a year...
Thomas Cook passes refinancing package
10 May at 9 AMStory Link: Thomas Cook passes refinancing package
As reported by the BBC, Thomas Cook has revealed a refinancing package valued at £1.4 billion ($2.3 billion) which will offer the troubled tour operator another three years to pay off its debts.
The firm says that the new arrangement gives it more sustainability and financial flexibility. Shares in Thomas Cook, which have dropped by over...
EU shares pick up after election fears subside
8 May at 6 PMStory Link: EU shares pick up after election fears subside
As reported by the BBC, EU shares ended higher as investor anxiety over national austerity plans after weekend election results proved to be only short-lived. Pro-bailout factions in Greece fared quite poorly, while Francois Hollande was elected France’s new president, promising to concentrate on growth rather than on austerity measures....
GM profits drop on EU loss
7 May at 6 PMStory Link: GM profits drop on EU loss
As reported by the BBC, due to slowing European operations, American car giant General Motors has seen a sharp decline in quarterly profits. The company’s net profit in the first three months of 2012 was $1.35 billion (£830 million), dropping from $3.41 billion one year earlier.
In Europe, GM saw a loss of $300 million during the...
Facebook valued between 85bn to 95bn USD
4 May at 6 PMStory Link: Facebook valued between 85bn to 95bn USD
As reported by the BBC, Facebook has fixed its share price for the approaching initial public offering (IPO), setting the price at between $28 - $35 per stake and valuing the firm at around $85 billion - $95 billion (or £52 billion - £59 billion).
The IPO is expected to be the biggest ever for a web firm, larger than Google's...
Next strong performance with home shopping boost
3 May at 6 PMStory Link: Next strong performance with home shopping boost
As reported by the BBC, clothing and household furnishings retailer Next has announced that a strong performance at its Directory home shopping firm has offset a decline in sales at its High Street shops. Total sales went up 1.4 percent for the 13 weeks leading up to April 28.
The company’s directory home shopping brand sales went up by...
Dow Jones up from manufacturing data
2 May at 6 PMStory Link: Dow Jones up from manufacturing data
As reported by the BBC, the New York Dow Jones index has finished at its best level for over four years, buoyed by data showing US manufacturing stronger than expected for April. The Institute for Supply Management also announced that its manufacturing activity index went up to 54.8 in April from 53.4 in March. Figures above 50 show...
Oil firm Total profits fall
1 May at 6 PMStory Link: Oil firm Total profits fall
As reported by the BBC, French oil company Total has announced a drop in profits, blaming lowered demand and expensive raw material prices at its European petrochemicals firm. Net income for 2012’s first three months was 3.66 billion euros (£3 billion), down by 7% from one year ago. But sales went up by 11% to 51.17 billion euros.
The...
