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London midday: Stocks fall as BoE QE programme hits a snag
The FTSE 100 declined on Wednesday after the Bank of England failed to buy as many government bonds as it had planned.
Numis downgrades Regus, says shares 'up with events'
Regus slumped on Wednesday, suffering a second day of losses as Numis downgraded its stance on the stock to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’ following the company’s first-half results, saying the shares are up with events.
Harvest Minerals spikes on promising fertiliser study
Harvest Minerals shares spiked as an initial study confirmed its Brazilian fertiliser project could be financed from existing cash reserves, with first production due later this year.
US pre-open: Stocks seen flat as investors eye fresh catalysts
US futures pointed to a steady open on Wall Street, with indices holding close to new record highs as investors awaited fresh catalysts.
Prudential's first half profits gain on Asia growth
Prudential reported a better-than-expected increase in first half operating profit on Wednesday, driven by double-digit growth in Asia.
Entertainment One rejects takeover approach from ITV
Peppa Pig owner Entertainment One said on Wednesday that it has rejected a takeover from broadcaster ITV that values the company at 236p per share.
Eurostar staff to go on strike for seven days over work-life balance
Eurostar workers are to strike for seven days, including over the August bank holiday, due to a dispute over their work-life balance.
August heatwave could boost food retailers by £290m
An upcoming August heatwave could benefit British food retailers by as much as £290m.
Broker tips: Cobham, Worldpay, Rolls-Royce
Exane BNP Paribas downgraded Cobham to ‘underperform’ from ‘neutral’ and cut the price target to 140p from 143p, highlighting lingering doubts following the company’s first-half results last week.
France factory output drops sharply in June
French factory activity fell into a hole in June, but some economists were relatively sanguine regarding the prospects for the euro area´s second largest economy.
Asia report: Markets mostly lower as oil disappoints
Shares in Asia ended mixed on Wednesday, as traders concentrated on rollercoaster crude prices and looked towards a slew of Chinese data due this week.
Rolls-Royce boosted by Morgan Stanley upgrade
Rolls-Royce got a boost on Wednesday as Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to ‘equalweight’ from ‘underweight’ due to increased confidence on cash, and lifted the price target to 780p from 655p.
Gilt yields plumb fresh record lows, as BoE's QE launch stumbles
The Bank of England said it would look to make up for the previous session's lacklustre results at a reverse auction to purchase £1. 17bn of long-dated Gilts during the second half of its extended programme of quantitative easing.
Petra Diamonds recovers 138.57 carat white diamond from Cullinan
Petra Diamonds has recovered a 138. 57 carat white diamond at the Cullinan mine in South Africa.
BBVA ups 2016 Spanish GDP growth forecast to 3.1% despite Brexit
Spain´s economy was set to grow more quickly than expected in 2016, before slowing notably in the following year, one of the country´s top research teams said.
Firms and consumers reign in spending but BoE survey sees manufacturers gain
Business services growth and consumer spending softened last month due to a combination of the Brexit vote and wet weather, a survey by the Bank of England found, though there were no indications of rising unemployment or lower investment in absolute terms.
London job numbers slide after Brexit vote, but not as bad as feared
The impact of Brexit on recruitment in London was not as aggressive as expected, but it is too early to determine whether it is systemic, as the number of available jobs fell 27% in July.
Avacta collaboration programme gets £3.8m grant
A collaboration programme between AIM-listed Avacta and Leeds University has been awarded a £3. 8m grant by the Medical Research Council.
Costs down, production up in Q2 at Centamin
Centamin announced its results for the second quarter to 30 June on Wednesday, with an EBITDA of $101. 6m up 51% on the first quarter.