Latest News
Commodities: Oil and copper retreat, natural gas jumps
Commodity prices were weighed down by a bounce in the US dollar and reports that LME copper stockpiles were continuing to build-up.
Miners and homebuilders pace losses, precious metals miners shine
Miners and homebuilders weighed on the main UK equity benchmarks the most, against a backdrop of sovereign bond yields slipping to record lows and some market commentary flagging the risk of sharp drops in equity markets.
US close: Stocks give up 3 days of gains as bond yields, oil fall
US shares closed slightly lower on Thursday as the S&P 500 gave up three days of gains as bond yields and oil prices fell.
Directors dealings: M&S chairman adds to holdings
M&S's chairman topped up his holdings just over a fortnight after the company's full-year results sent shares in the ubiquitous fashion retailer tumbling.
FX round-up: Sterling nosedives against NZ dollar amid Draghi pall
Sterling was mixed against most major crosses this evening and had plunged against the New Zealand dollar as startled traders reacted to that country's central bank holding its key interest rate steady.
Brexit could mean benefit cuts for poor families, NIESR says
Low income families may stand to lose hundreds of pounds in benefit payments, if not far more, should Britain decide to leave the European Union, one of the UK's leading think-tanks said.
Uber and two executives fined by French court
A French court has fined Uber and two of its executives for running an illegal transport service with non-professional drivers, on Thursday.
London close: resources, financials falter as crude eases, gilt yields fall
London blue-chip stocks fell on Thursday led by a cluster of mining majors and followed by a string of financials, against a fabric of easing crude prices, gilt yields and soaring gold.
Netflix reveals which shows people binge watch the most
Highly popular online streaming service Netflix has revealed the different variety of ways in which people watch their favourite TV shows, whether it be in a ravenous single sitting, or in a more measured, thoughtful approach.
Europe close: Markets sharply lower as sentiment turns negative
Stocks in Europe closed down sharply on Thursday, with lower oil prices and commodity stocks stoking negative sentiment, and concerns about the health of the global economy growing.
Sky inks €876m a year Bundesliga broadcast deal
Pay-TV operator Sky has inked a deal that will see it broadcast Germany's Bundesliga football through to 2021 at an average rights cost of €876m a year, from €486m under the existing contract.
Thursday broker round-up
Fevertree Drinks: Berenberg upgrades to buy with a target price of 810p.
Empiric Student Property buys Leeds property for £17.8m
Empiric Student Property has acquired the freehold of a 127-bed student-accommodation property in Leeds for £17. 8m, excluding costs, from British Airways Pension Trust Ltd. Eight-storey Pennine House was Empiric's third acquisition in Leeds.
Tern celebrates success at Device authority
Tern was celebrating success at one of its investee companies on Thursday, with policy and device driven security firm Device Authority named the UK’s Most Innovative Small Cyber Security Company by techUK’s Cyber Connect programme and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Standard and Poor´s say Ireland is most exposed to Brexit
Close neighbours of Britain the Republic of Ireland are most at risk economically outside the UK in the case of Brexit. Ratings agency Standard and Poor's have reaffirmed what was revealed today by the OECD report on annual economic outlook. Read: Ireland and Luxembourg to be worst hit outside UK if Brexit passes - OECD report.
Thursday newspaper share tips: Domino's Pizza Group, Brighton Pier Group
Domino's Pizza Group is starting to look as if it might have same taste appeal for UK investors, suggests the Financial Times' Lex column.
Eurozone governments must act now on structural reforms, ECB's Draghi says
The euro area cannot afford to wait any longer on carrying out critical structural reforms, the head of the single currency area's central bank said.
AEC Education converts loans to shares
AEC Education shored up its finances on Thursday, announcing that it has agreed with certain shareholders that loans from them amounting to £853,951 will be converted into ordinary shares in the company at a value of 5p per share.
Small caps news round-up
Investing company Velox3 announced on Thursday its conditional acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Sheltyco Enterprises Group for £10. 9m, to be satisfied by the issue of 43,753,775 new consolidated ordinary shares. The AIM-traded firm said Sheltyco is a holding company for several subsidiary companies focused on the marketing and promotion of third party online gaming, lottery adn bnary option operators, such as Betsafe, Lottopalace and Option888.
Will Brexit polls prove to be accurate?
With Britain's historic EU referendum just days away, the impact of opinion polls is very much on everyone's minds. Can we trust them? Are they accurate? Some experts have actually questioned the use of polls in the run up to a vote.