British life and pensions group Standard Life revealed a fourth-quarter sales rebound today as it hailed the return of investor confidence in equities.

US buy-out firm Carlyle today confirmed it had approached UK waste management group Shanks with a potential takeover offer.

British insurer Legal & General sent shares falling across the sector today after revealing a £351m (€414m) hit to investments and another dividend payout cut.

A bout of profit-taking knocked the wind out of the London market’s sails today while a dividend cut at insurer Legal & General saw the stock sink more than 6%.

London's blue chip share index staged a late session rally today as optimism on Wall Street added to investor cheer over a potential takeover of Friends Provident.

Insurers were back in the red today after Legal & General slashed its dividend for the first time in the group's history and posted plunging profits.

Insurance giant Legal & General said today around 10% of its life and pensions workforce would go this year after it reported a £1.5bn (€1.6bn) annual loss.

London’s FTSE 100 Index today slumped almost 9% to cap the worst week for blue chip shares since “Black Monday” in 1987.

Sharply lower oil prices helped the London market break a three-day losing streak today as the blue chip share index rallied 2.5%.

New business sales at UK insurer Legal & General slipped today amid a weakening housing market and a fall in corporate annuity sales.

Telecoms giant Vodafone saw shares soar to a six-year high today, helping lift the wider London market by 1.5%.

GlaxoSmithKline shares were back under pressure today after analysts downgraded their ratings in the wake of third quarter results.

Insurance firms led the London market higher today as strong results and broker upgrades buoyed the sector.

Shares in insurance giant Legal & General sank today after the company warned it was facing millions of pounds in costs linked to recent flooding which has wreaked havoc across the UK.

Consolidation hopes for the insurance sector drove the London market forward today as Friends Provident and Resolution confirmed merger talks.

Insurance group Legal & General unveiled a major deal last week when it bought the life assurance and unit trust business of Nationwide, a move worth about £285m (€427.5m).

Friends Provident led the FTSE 100 Index into the black today after better-than-expected sales figures.

The London market made further progress today as the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded above 12,000 for the second session running in New York.

Banking stocks led the London market into the red today after Egg owner Prudential warned of a “marked deterioration” in market trends.

High street clothes store Next leapt to the top of the FTSE 100 Index leaderboard today as the London market ended the week on the front foot.

Shares in London continued their forward march today boosted by renewed takeover speculation surrounding insurance giant Prudential.

THOUSANDS of Irish policyholders are in line for a €70 million windfall following the decision of Standard Life in Britain to reject several bids and to seek a flotation on the London Stock Exchange.

Norwich Union owner Aviva was today said to be planning to bolster its pursuit of Prudential after its rival rejected a £17bn (€24.5bn) takeover bid.

Strong demand for savings-based products drove annual new business figures from British insurer Legal & General above the £1bn (€1.5bn) mark today.

The London market lost sight of its recent milestones today as investors fretted over a warning from oil giant BP that storm damage may harm its profits.

Record oil prices and good news from the banking sector helped the FTSE 100 Index surge to a fresh three-year high today.

British insurer Legal & General was today celebrating after having a £1.1m (€1.6m) fine for mis-selling endowment mortgages slashed almost in half.

A clutch of insurance stocks helped drive the London market higher today after an update from Friends Provident cheered the sector.

The £100m (€144.8m) sale of 10 BUPA hospitals in the UK appeared on track today after the healthcare firm confirmed it was in exclusive talks with a potential buyer.

A positive performance by oil stocks helped to keep the London market in the black today.

British insurer Prudential today said investors had reacted positively to its controversial £1bn (€1.4bn) rights issue.

Major investors in Prudential are planning talks with one of the Uk-based insurer’s key directors in a bid to force its boss to stand down, according to reports.

The London market ended the week on a low note today after investors fretted over insurance stocks and high oil prices.

Insurance giant Legal & General was today named Britain’s best employer for retaining a good pension scheme, keeping call centre jobs in the UK and involving staff in business decisions.

British banking group Barclays is planning to raise £400m (€564m) by securitising billions of pounds worth of assets from its life operations.

London's FTSE 100 Index resumed its upward path after drawing encouragement from a flurry of activity on Wall Street on Friday.

London’s leading shares failed to follow their Wall Street counterparts upwards today after a brief foray into the black came to an end.

London’s benchmark FTSE 100 Index drifted back into the red today after earlier appearing to shake off uncertainty over the global situation.

London’s FTSE 100 Index finished a lacklustre trading session with an unusual flourish today – unchanged at the same point it started the day.

London’s leading shares regained some of their earlier momentum today as market watchers predicted an upbeat return to trading on Wall Street.

London’s leading shares staged a late rally as positive corporate news in the US boosted hopes of economic recovery.

Drugs-based companies propped up the FTSE 100 Index today as blue-chip shares finished slightly down at the end of an uncertain session.

Uncertainty over the war in Iraq has seen London share prices fluctuate sharply.

London’s FTSE 100 Index surged another 100 points today as the bounce back from Wednesday’s £40bn (€59bn) slump continued.