Shares News

NEW YORK (AFX) - Wall Street is leaning toward a higher open today, helped by a pullback in the price of oil, with Home Depot set to be an early focus as shares in the home improvement retailer rose on a news report it may be the subject of a 100 bln usd buyout. According to the spread-betting firm IG Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is seen opening up 15 points higher at 12,237. Separatel ...

LONDON (AFX) - UK small caps remained higher at midday, mirroring the strong wider market, with Alizyme trading well following news that the pharmaceutical firm raised 14.5 mln stg via a placing, dealers said. At midday the FTSE Small Cap index was 23.5 points better at 3,674.5, one point shy of the day's high, while the wider market was also in positive territory. Alizyme advanced 13-3/4 to 90  ...

ATLANTA (AFX) - Servidyne Inc., which develops and owns properties and provides management services, said Friday its board declared a regular quarterly dividend of 3.6 cents per share. The company will pay the dividend on Jan. 2 to shareholders of record on Dec. 11. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

PARIS (AFX) - Shares were higher at midday, after French manufacturing PMI proved stronger than expected and as Electricite de France was buoyed by the prospect of higher utility tariffs, dealers said. At 12.38 pm, the CAC-40 index was up 14.77 points or 0.28 pct at 5,342.41. Of the stocks in the index, 23 were higher, 16 were lower and one was unchanged. Volume was 2.18 bln eur. The SBF-80 inde ...

LONDON (AFX) - The following is a compilation of UK smaller company results due out in the 2 weeks to Dec 15: TUESDAY DEC 5 Sales at Andor Technology PLC have continued to grow across all sectors and the global manufacturer of instruments for the scientific imaging and spectroscopy markets anticipates reporting revenues of over 19 mln stg for the full year, an increase of 21 pct on the previous  ...

Japanese fund manager Yoshiaki Murakami has pleaded not guilty to insider trading charges in a trial involving scandal-hit internet firm Livedoor. In June, Mr Murakami was indicted for getting confidential data from Takafumi Horie, Livedoor's ex-chief executive. Now a key witness from Livedoor says Mr Murakami bought Nippon Broadcasting shares, aware that Mr Horie would later buy a large share in the radio firm. The case has had a big impact in Japan, reaching as far as the Bank of Japan. Th ...

Nick Goodway, Evening Standard1 December 2006 Comedian Jasper Carrott today emerged as one of the biggest winners of Who Wants To be a Millionaire? as he sold his stake in the business in a £112m deal. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT: Chris Tarrant failed in his attempt to buy Celador earlier this year. WANT TO KNOW MORE? DATA: Endemol MORE: Celador's 'Millionaire' sold in £106m deal REPORT: Who wants to sue a millionaire? OTHER STORIES Water firms panned f ...

FORT WORTH, Texas (AFX) - Independent oil and gas company Range Resources Corp. said Friday its board increased its quarterly cash dividend by 50 percent to 3 cents per share. The company paid a 2-cent dividend in the prior period. Range Resources will pay the dividend on Dec. 29 to stockholders of record on Dec. 15. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be ...

FRANKFURT (AFX) - German shares were higher midday as Lufthansa took off after a glowing broker note and ThyssenKrupp gained on positive full-year figures, but with investors remaining anxious of the high dollar and high prices for crude oil, dealers said. At 11.21 am, the DAX 30 index was up 44.27 points or 0.70 pct at 6,353.46 having moved between a low of 6,322.18 and a high of 6,360.67 so far ...

(Updates prices, adds details) LONDON (AFX) - Oil prices fell, after climbing to their highest point in more than two months yesterday, as dealers bet OPEC is less likely to cut output again at its upcoming meeting if prices hold onto recent gains. At 10.19 am in London, front-month Brent North Sea crude contracts for January delivery were down 15 cents at 64.11 usd a barrel, after surging 1.19  ...