Latest News
Microsoft adds LinkedIn to its network in $26.2bn takeover
Microsoft has agreed to buy LinkedIn in a $196 per share all-cash takeover that values the professional social network at $26. 2bn.
US close: Stocks drop ahead of EU referendum, Fed rate decision
US stocks declined on Monday on jitters ahead of Britain’s European Union referendum and the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision.
Sterling may tumble 15% against dollar after a Brexit vote - academic
A UK vote to quit the European Union on 23 June could see sterling plumb depths of around $1. 21, or 15% below current levels, a leading academic says, a rate far worse than predicted by market economists.
Financials, insurers pace drops
The latest Brexit poll results sent traders scurrying for cover as they revealed another small lurch towards the UK leaving the European Union on 23 June.
China needs to address 'very high' corporate debt - IMF
China needs to address escalating corporate debt to dodge a potential systemic risk to both itself and the global economy, a key International Monetary Fund (IMF) official has warned.
FX round-up: Sterling endures torrid turn on resurgent Brexit fears
Sterling put in torrid turns on most major crosses today as resurgent Brexit fears flooded across global markets, and traders looked keenly ahead to UK, US and Japan central-bank fixtures later this week.
FTSE 250 movers: Aveva flies as G4S wilts amid Brexit pall
FTSE 250 finished lower alongside its blue-chip sibling as Brexit fears acted as a dead-weight on sentiment and trade, but served to boost the appeal and price of safe-haven gold.
Royal Mail and Unite agree pay deal for managers
Royal Mail has reached an agreement with Unite and made an improved offer to thousands of managers who had threatened to take industrial action.
Brexit possibility the highest since referendum was called
The probability that Britain will vote to leave the European Union rose to 36% on Monday, the highest level since the referendum was announced in February.
Europe close: Brexit worries take their toll
Losses in lenders' shares weighed on the main European equity benchmarks, as investors continued to move to factor-in a greater risk of Brexit as the latest poll results continued to roll-in.
OPEC sticks to global oil demand forecasts for 2016
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries stuck to an optimistic note on global oil demand in 2016, despite the recent decision by the World Bank to slash its projections for global growth.
M1 closed for second day as man refuses to come down from gantry
Commuters on the M1 motorway have been left frustrated once more as a man who climbed on to a gantry sign on Sunday afternoon remained there on Monday, causing part of the road to be closed for a second day.
Small caps news round-up
Oil and gas engineering services business Plexus Holdings announced on Monday it has agreed the terms of a conditional placing to raise £6m before expenses, by way of a placing of 9,230,770 new ordinary shares at a price of 65p each to new and existing investors. The AIM-traded firm said the placing is intended to strengthen Plexus’ balance sheet during the current down cycle, and provide Plexus with the flexibility to support the capital requirements of its long-term strategy of becoming a leading international oil and gas services company, supplying a new standard of wellhead equipment and associated products for exploration, production and subsea applications.
London close: Stocks finish lower on mounting Brexit fears
UK stocks finished lower on Monday as Brexit fears rose ahead of the next week’s European Union referendum.
Brexit would not mean huge drop in immigration - Hilary Benn
Reductions in immigration in the case of a Leave vote triumphing in the Brexit referendum are vastly overstated, according to Labour Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn.
Plexus raises £6m to help it through downturn
Oil and gas engineering services business Plexus Holdings announced on Monday it has agreed the terms of a conditional placing to raise £6m before expenses, by way of a placing of 9,230,770 new ordinary shares at a price of 65p each to new and existing investors.
Sterling faces post-Brexit cliff-dive as polls drive short positions
The Great British pound is set for not such a great session on 24 June if UK quits the European Union the day before, potentially seeing the UK unit cliff-dive to three-decade lows.
Broker tips: Johnson Matthey, BHP Billiton, Spectris
Johnson Matthey’s rating was downgraded to ‘hold’ from ‘add’ but its target price was raised to 3,138p by Numis after the company reported its full year results.
Results round-up
Kingfisher has booked total first quarter sales of £2. 7bn, up 5. 1% in reported terms and ahead 3. 6% in like-for-like constant-currency terms.
Fitbug shares dive as it widens FY loss, mulls fund-raising
Shares in online personal health and wellbeing services provider Fitbug have fallen almost a quarter after it booked an impairment-dented set of full year results and mulled a potential fund-raise.