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Market reports from Share Cast

• London open: Very quiet start
  10 Mar, 2010 08:51
  London's blue chips have opened lower but there is little momentum either way at present with modest gains for the banks offset by a stack of companies going ex-dividend.

• London pre-open: Shares seen lower
  10 Mar, 2010 07:32
  London's blue chips are expected to open lower on Wednesday with traders forecasting a 10 points drop.

• London close: Late rally limits losses
  09 Mar, 2010 16:36
  A strong early performance from US shares helped Footsie recover from earlier weakness to close only slightly lower on a U-shaped day for the leading share index.

Press round-up from Share Cast

• Wednesday paper round-up: EADS, Barclays, Google
  10 Mar, 2010 06:34
  Lord Mandelson has tried to head off a transatlantic trade war by expressing concern at Washington's handling of a $35bn Pentagon procurement project that could spark European retaliation.

• Tuesday paper round-up: Tullett Prebon, Vodafone, China
  09 Mar, 2010 06:37
  Hundreds of City traders are rethinking plans to leave the UK for tax purposes in the wake of last month's landmark court ruling against a British businessman based in the Seychelles, it emerged yesterday.

• Monday newspaper round-up: Royal Bank of Scotland, China, Prudential
  08 Mar, 2010 06:39
  Santander has moved into pole position to take over the 320 branches in England being sold by Royal Bank of Scotland.

Company news from Share Cast

• Update: Standard Life tops expectations
  10 Mar, 2010 08:54
  Life insurer Standard Life is lifting its efficiency targets after delivering profits ahead of market expectations in 2009.

• Northern Rock cuts losses but arrears climb
  10 Mar, 2010 07:56
  State-owned mortgage lender Northern Rock cut losses sharply in 2009, its last results before it split into its good half - Northern Rock PLC - and bad half - Northern Rock Asset Management (NRAM) - on 1 January, but arrears rose again.

• Gulf Keystone takes control of JV
  10 Mar, 2010 07:54
  Kurdistan-focused oil and gas explorer Gulf Keystone has been in talks with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to reorganise the company's interest in its joint venture Gulf Keystone Petroleum International (GKPI).

Sector review from Share Cast

• Sector movers: International Power lights up electricity sector
  09 Mar, 2010 11:39
  Strong gains from International Power after full-year results help lift the electricity sector higher.

• Sector movers: Prudential plans boost insurance sector
  08 Mar, 2010 09:37
  The life insurance sector is higher after investors gave a warm reception to Prudential's acceleration of its plans for a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The Pru now wants the listing effective before its $20bn rights issue to help fund the purc

• Sector movers: Miners move higher
  05 Mar, 2010 14:21
  Miners are on the rise amid strong buying and selling activity in the sector.

Share research from Hargreaves Lansdown

• Inmarsat - posting growth across all sectors
  09 Mar, 2010 15:50
  Satellite communications company Inmarsat recently (9th March 2010) unveiled a 12 per cent rise in full-year operating profit. Total revenue rose to $181.5 million from $160.6million in the fourth quarter of 2008, with the group’s maritime sector growing sales by 10 per cent and the land mobile sector growing turnover by 8 per cent. The aeronautical sector grew revenue by 13 per cent while the leasing division saw an  improvement of 29.2 per cent. Revenue was boosted by strong demand

• Antofagasta - Positioned to exploit increased copper production
  09 Mar, 2010 15:40
  Chilean copper miner, Antofagasta, recently (9th March 2010) reported that full year operations were on course, with production facilities set to increase dramatically while current production was ahead of schedule. Overall, Antofagasta’s copper production during 2009 was 442,500 tonnes, ahead of the original forecast for the year of 433,000 tonnes. Net profit excluding exceptional items was $667.7 million, compared with $842.9 million during the same period a year earlier, the fall being due to lower copper prices. Revenue was 12.2

• International Power - Power of international portfolio
  09 Mar, 2010 15:40
  UK based independent power producer International Power PLC today (9th March 2010) reported an 18.9 per cent rise in full-year net profit of £996 million versus £838 million in 2008, slightly ahead of market consensus. Group revenue for the year fell 4.1 per cent to £3.67 billion from £3.82 billion a year earlier. The increase was driven by higher profit from operations in Australia, the Middle East, Asia and Europe,  offsetting weaker conditions in the UK and US. The group’s

Press tips from Share Cast

• Wednesday tips round-up: International Power, Inmarsat, Antofagasta
  10 Mar, 2010 06:55
  International Power's attraction is that it is well placed to take advantage of short-term improvements in power prices.

• Tuesday tips round-up: Capita, Bovis, Tullett Prebon
  09 Mar, 2010 06:43
  Recent full-year results from Capita were decidedly mixed - with the market particularly concerned about a slowdown in organic growth at the company in 2009 and 2010.

• Sunday tips round-up: Animalcare, CVS, Amec
  07 Mar, 2010 10:44
  Animalcare is ideally placed to take advantage of this trend. Formed in 2008 from the merger of a pet drugs business and a farm animal enterprise, the firm has three main divisions --medicines for pets, medical products for pets (such as injections, banda

Broker tips from Share Cast

• Broker tips: Antofagasta, Tullett Prebon, Mears
  09 Mar, 2010 13:09
  Shares in Chilean copper miner Antofagasta dipped on Tuesday after the earnings came in a tad below consensus and the dividend disappointed, but the company remains the 'best copper pure play stock' on the London Stock Exchange, according to Ambrian.

• Broker snap: Brokers queue up to praise Mears
  09 Mar, 2010 13:07
  Results from social housing maintenance specialist Mears held few surprises, according to KBC Peel Hunt, but 'the outlook statement remains positive across the key operations,' the broker said.

• Broker snap: Antofagasta 'best pure copper play'
  09 Mar, 2010 12:49
  Shares in Chilean copper miner Antofagasta dipped after the earnings came in a tad below consensus and the dividend disappointed, but the company remains the 'best copper pure play stock' on the London Stock Exchange, according to Ambrian.

Directors dealings from Share Cast

• Shire chairman raises £1.5m from disposal
  09 Mar, 2010 16:22
  A round-up of the biggest director buys today so far.

• FD sells after Invista bid talks end
  08 Mar, 2010 16:49
  A round-up of the biggest director deals today so far.

• Persimmon's Jonathan Davie lays foundations
  05 Mar, 2010 16:23
  A round-up of the biggest director deals today so far.