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US close: Stocks end slightly higher as oil recovers, healthcare lends support
US stocks ended in the black, reversing earlier losses as oil prices recovered, although gains were limited as investors looked to the non-farm payrolls report on Friday.
Directors dealings: Serco boss picks up stock after poor run for share price
Rupert Soames, Serco´s boss, picked up a large amount of shares in the company he captains.
Sector movers: Automobile stocks boosted by US sales figures, weak euro
Cyclical sectors such as chemicals and automobiles led gainers, alongside a bounce for food&drug retailers and fixed line telecommunications stocks.
Thursday broker round-up
Moneysupermarket. com: Jefferies downgrades to hold with a target price of 312p.
National Express's debt ratings affirmed by Fitch
National Express' long-term issuer default rating (IDR) and 'BBB-' senior-unsecured ratings were affirmed by Fitch Ratings, which said the outlook on the coach and rail operator's long-term issuer default rating was stable.
Standard Chartered on track to meet $1bn cost-cutting target
Asia-facing bank Standard Chartered is on track to achieve its $1bn cost-cutting target, says its South Asia chief executive, Ajay Kanwal.
FX round-up: Sterling claws back some losses amid OPEC, ECB focus
Sterling clawed back some lost ground against major currencies amid a welter of news from OPEC and the European Central Bank, but tapered against the yen and rand.
Europe close: Auto stocks pace gains
European stocks finished the session on a mixed note despite the lack of any agreement by OPEC member countries to cap their oil output and little fresh news out of the European Central Bank´s policy meeting, as traders looked forward to Friday´s monthly US jobs report.
Denmark's central bank moves to defend kroner's euro peg
Denmark's central bank moved to defend the kroner's peg against the euro in May by dumping about $3. 5bn worth in a bid to weaken the local currency.
Friday preview: US non-farm payrolls in the spotlight
The US non-farm payrolls report will be in the spotlight on Friday amid speculation of an interest rate hike ahead of the Federal Reserve’s 14-15 June policy meeting.
Small caps news round-up
Natural resources investor Metal Tiger and Australian firm MOD Resources updated the market on their diamond drilling programme in Botswana on Thursday, advancing the project towards what it hoped would be commercialisation. The companies, traded on the AIM and ASX respectively, are 30%-70% partners in the joint venture project in the Kalahari Copper Belt.
London close: FTSE finishes flat after OPEC and ECB meetings
The FTSE 100 was flat at the closing bell on Thursday as traders assessed the outcome of meetings of OPEC and the European Central Bank.
Lombard Risk signs major global bank through Oracle deal
Collateral management and regulatory reporting solutions provider Lombard Risk Management announced on Thursday that it has signed a deal with a “Global Systemically Important Bank” for its flagship regulatory reporting solution.
IXICO study joins Dementias Platform
Brain health company IXICO announced on Thursday that its Cygnus study has joined the high-profile Dementias Platform UK (DPUK).
Xaar confirms long-awaited Thin Film launch and Ricoh partnership
Xaar has launched its long awaited thin-film Piezo platform (P4) and confirmed the agreement of a partnership with Japanese technology giant Ricoh to accelerate the development of thin-film printheads.
Brexit becomes heated as U.K curry houses come under threat
Things are hotting up for the British referendum on EU memebership on June 23rd, and the latest industry to make noise about the issue is Britain's much-loved curry industry, which is suffering at the hands of free migration within Europe.
Oil futures cut losses after weekly US inventory data
US oil and product inventories fell sharply during the latest reference week, government data showed.
ULS Technology, John Charcol to launch new platform
Conveyancing and financial intermediary platform provider ULS Technology celebrated the launch of a new partnership on Thursday, as independent mortgage firm John Charcol prepared to launch a new conveyancing service built on ULS products.
Former AIG boss Greenberg to face fraud trial
The former boss of American International Group, Maurice "Hank" Greenberg has to face a fraud trial in relation to transactions at the insurance company, a US court of appeal has ruled.
US open: Stocks slide as OPEC fails to agree deal on output
US stocks declined on Thursday after OPEC failed to agree a deal on output and as the US private payrolls report missed analysts’ estimates.