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FTSE 250 movers: IMI gains after upgrade; CMC Markets drops on update
London’s FTSE 250 was up 0. 2% to 18,161. 96 in afternoon trade as investors mulled over the preliminary release of fourth-quarter UK GDP figures.
Bonds:
These were the biggest moves in some of the most widely-followed 10-year sovereign bond yields:.
Europe midday: Stocks in the green as optimism over Trump's policies rises
European stocks edged higher as investors were seemingly optimistic about US President Donald Trump’s stimulus policies and his upcoming meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May.
Whitbread growth rolls on as Costa offsets Premier Inn revpar slump
Whitbread, the owner of Costa coffee and Premier Inn, reported third quarter revenue rose and that it will meet full year expectations, as it remains on track with its growth plans.
US service sector off to strong start in 2017, Markit says
Service sector activity in the States accelerated by much more than expected at the start of 2017, according to one of the most widely-followed barometres of activity.
Friday preview: US fourth quarter GDP, BT third quarter interims
The US economy slowed in the fourth quarter compared to a year ago, the advance estimate from the Commerce Department is expected to show on Friday.
Weekly US jobless claims rise past forecasts
US jobless claims jumped past forecasts, despite the impact of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday falling at the start of the latest reference week.
MPs to get 5 days to debate Article 50 bill
MPs will have five days to debate the Article 50 bill in Parliament, as the government works to ensure it sticks to its timetable to trigger the clause by the end of March.
S&P keeps negative outlook on China debt, warns of 'hard-landing'
Analysts at Standard&Poor´s hailed China´s reform of its fiscal and monetary policies, but cautioned risks of a 'hard-landing' for Asia´s largest economy were increasing.
Dow Chemical rises before the bell after earnings beat
Chemical maker Dow Chemical was rising by more than 2% in pre-market trading in New York on Thursday after beating on its fourth quarter earnings report.
Emis Group in line with expectations despite NHS funding headwinds
Shares fell in Emis Group as the healthcare software firm reported that its performance was in line with expectations despite headwinds created by the gap in NHS funding, as the company accelerates it implementation plan.
Connect Group revenues marginally improve
Specialist distributor Connect Group issued a trading update for the 20 week period to 21 January on Thursday, with total group revenues increasing 0. 2% compared to the same period last year, whilst total group like-for-like revenues increased 0. 6%.
Frontier Smart Tech earnings to be ahead of expectations
Frontier Smart Technologies, which makes products for digital radio and smart audio devices, anticipates that earnings for 2016 will swing to a profit and will be ahead of expectations following increased revenue and the sale of its loss-making healthcare division.
Ford Motor 2016 income falls, quarterly profits short of estimates
Ford Motor Co. posted a significant reduction in its net profit for 2016, as it converted from being a target of President Donald Trump's criticism, to welcoming kind words from the leader.
Jefferies downgrades Essentra as new CEO repairs 'self-inflicted wounds'
Jefferies downgraded its rating on Essentra to 'hold' as the cigarette filters and plastic packaging manufacturer's "self inflicted wounds" need time to repair.
Co-operative Bank 'unlikely to meet' Individual Capital Guidance
Co-operative Bank provided an update on its previous guidance on capital on Thursday.
Fiat Chrysler almost doubles profit in fourth quarter
Italian car maker Fiat Chrysler has nearly doubled its fourth-quarter profit after implementing cost cutting measures.
Retail sales drop sharply in January, CBI's distributive trades data shows
Retail sales volumes dropped sharply in January, especially for supermarket groups, according to data released on Thursday.
Keras Resources raises £0.6m to support gold project and float on ASX
AIM-listed Australian gold miner Keras Resources has raised £600,000 in equity to support ongoing exploration work and to support plans to float on the Australian Stock Exchange.
Trump 'absolutely' believes in using torture against suspected terrorists
US President Donald Trump has gone against the views of his Defense Secretary James Mattis by insisting that he believes "absolutely" in the use of torture to gain intelligence.