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US close: Markets finish higher as oil rockets
US markets closed higher on Wednesday, led by industrial and materials stocks, with the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 edging close to their 52-week intraday highs seen last summer.
Commodities: Oil, metals´ futures buoyed by Chinese import data
Oil and metals´ prices were buoyed on Wednesday by a solid reading on Chinese commodity imports.
M&S' like-for-like sales to benefit from BHS' collapse - Morgan Stanley Research
Retailing giant Marks & Spencer's like-for-like sales are likely to see a 2-3% bump-up over the next year on the back of BHS' acrimonious demise, says Morgan Stanley Research.
FX round-up: Sterling flat as kiwi flies and rand soars
Sterling was flat against the dollar this evening, but down against a palette of commodity and other currencies after a largely quiet session on the in-out European Union referendum.
Europe close: Stocks take breather as ECB bond purchases kick-in
The main European equity indices took a breather following two days of advances, with traders keeping a close eye on whether America´s S&P 500 managed to set fresh record highs and the start of the European Central Bank´s corporate bond programme.
Tesco to sell Giraffe restaurant chain and its Turkish retail business
Tesco, the UK’s biggest retailer, was reportedly set to announce the sale of its Turkish unit and Giraffe restaurant chain in an effort to offload its underperforming businesses.
US open: Stocks edge higher, alongside gains for crude
Wall Street was sporting modest gains in early trading in New York, despite the release of a mixed report on the state of the country´s labour market.
Tony Blair predicts that Brexit will not come to pass
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has said that he believes Britain will stay in the European Union in the upcoming Brexit referendum, and criticised the actions of Boris Johnson, who has been fighting for the leave vote.
Former BHS owner a 'Premier League liar', MPs told
Former BHS owner Dominic Chappell “had his fingers in the till” and was a “Premier League Liar and a Sunday Pub League retailer at best”, executives of the collapsed High Street chain told a parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday.
London close: Oil, metal price rises inspire resources-led rally
London shares closed higher on Wednesday led by a strong showing in the resources sector on the back of rising oil and metals prices.
HSBC awaits Brazil watchdog ruling on proposed sale of Bradesco
Brazil's commerce watchdog, Cade, is set to rule today on whether Asia-focused bank HSBC can sell its Brazilian unit to Banco Bradesco SA.
US job openings jump in April, but hiring slumps
Job openings at companies Stateside returned to their highest level of the current economic cycle in April, leading some, but not all, analysts to conclude that any lull in employment growth would be short-lived.
UK government plans laws to allow Brexit-vote registrations to midnight 9 June
The UK government plans to introduce legislation that will allow people who register on Wednesday and up to midnight on 9 June to vote in Britain's in-out referendum on European Union membership.
Shoe Zone profits fall after closing 23 stores
Shoe Zone, a value footwear retailer, reported a fall in profit before tax of 4. 5% year-on-year after closing 23 loss making stores.
Small caps news round-up
Mineral exploration and production company Red Rock Resources updated the market on its programme at the Shoats Creek Field in Louisiana on Wednesday, including the identification of a low-cost recompletion opportunity at the LM19 well. The AIM-traded firm reiterated that there have been development delays since production began earlier this year, and the original spud date for the LM21 was not met.
Thursday preview: Home Retail reports first quarter trading update sans Homebase
Home Retail reports its first quarter trading update on Thursday which will cover only Argos following the completion of its Homebase disposal.
Video | Snapchat overhauls its design to build on user increase
Picture messaging app Snapchat is introducing changes to its service to increase traffic to publishers' content, as it promises not to rest on its laurels following news last week that it had taken over Twitter in terms of daily users.
Red Rock working through Shoats Creek delays
Mineral exploration and production company Red Rock Resources updated the market on its programme at the Shoats Creek Field in Louisiana on Wednesday, including the identification of a low-cost recompletion opportunity at the LM19 well.
Director dealings: C&R's Norval increases stake
Capital & Regional non-executive director Louis Norval headed up the director dealing's top buyers list on Wednesday, increasing his interest in the company.
Yahoo looks to sell patents amid potential Verizon bid interest - report
Yahoo Inc expects to haul in more than $1bn from selling about 3,000 patents, as Verizon looks to snap up the outfit's internet business for $3bn, reports say.