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FTSE 250 movers: Atkins deal a Friday boost; Restaurant Group goes cold
Telecoms and defence engineer WS Atkins rallied the FTSE 250 after agreeing late on Thursday to be taken over by Canada's SNC-Lavalin for £2. 1bn.
ReNeuron confirms breakthrough in cryopreserved candidate formulation
Cell-based therapeutics developer ReNeuron Group updated the market on its cell therapy development programmes targeting degenerative diseases of the retina on Friday, reporting that it had successfully developed a cryopreserved formulation of its human retinal progenitor cell (hRPC) therapeutic candidate.
Asia report: Markets rally after Wall Street surge
Markets in Asia finished higher on Friday, taking their cues from a strong finish on Wall Street overnight and ahead of the first round of the French presidential elections at the weekend, amid a suspected terrorist shooting in Paris.
London midday: Stocks, pound slip after disappointing retail sales
London stocks had slipped into the red by midday while the pound lost ground following the release of disappointing UK retail sales figures.
Reckitt Benckiser disappoints but headwinds should ease
Consumer products group Reckitt Benckiser posted a trading update for its first quarter on Friday, reporting it was in line with expectations with continued strong performance in the health division led by Mucinex and Durex.
UK govt drops plans to introduce 'death tax'
The government on Friday shelved a controversial plan to introduce what critics had called a stealth tax on death in a move that will cost the Treasury £300m.
Le Pen or Melenchon election victory would trigger a correction, Citi says
The most likely outcome of the French elections was a victory for either the centrist or centre-right candidates, Emmanuele Macron and Francois Fillon, strategists at Citi said.
UK retail sales drop as price deflator spikes
UK retail sales fell in March to record their first quarterly decline since 2013 as the falling pound sent shop prices soaring, which suggests the consumer spending slowdown is gathering pace and that the Bank of England may not raise interest rates for some time.
US pre-open: Stocks seen touch higher amid tax reform hopes
US futures suggested a fairly muted open on Wall Street on Friday, although some gains were expected following solid earnings in the previous session and after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Trump’s administration was close to bringing forward major tax reform.
Barclays believes worst of iron ore price slide over, positive on mining
Analysts at Barclays sounded a positive note on the EU mining sector, flagging the potential for large cash returns from Glencore, S32 and Rio Tinto over the medium-term.
Gaming Realms' Slingo portfolio to launch in US
Gaming Realms’ Slingo Original portfolio of games has won a license and will be launched in the New Jersey in the US.
Luca Benedetto elevated to Zenith Energy CFO
International oil and gas production company Zenith Energy announced the appointment of Luca Benedetto to the position of chief financial officer - a non-board position, replacing Alan Hume - on Friday.
Bonds: Gilts little changed amid dovish Fed speak, ahead of French elections
These were the movements in some of the most widely-followed 10-year sovereign bond yields: US: 2. 24% (+3bp)UK: 1. 07% (+0bp)Germany: 0. 24% (+4bp)France: 0. 93% (-2bp)Spain: 1. 70% (+2bp)Italy: 2. 27% (-1bp)Portugal: 3. 78% (-3bp)Greece: 6. 72% (+3bp)Japan: 0. 02% (+1bp).
NextEnergy agrees acquisition of six solar projects
NextEnergy Solar Fund announced on Friday that it signed six share purchase agreements for six separate projects, with three unrelated counterparties, to acquire the special purpose vehicles owning Rampisham, Aller Court, Hill, Forest Farm, Wasing and Flixborough solar plants, for an investment value of £30. 5m.
Deutsche Bank ups Debenhams to 'hold'
Deutsche Bank upgraded retailer Debenhams to ‘hold’ from ‘sell’ as it cut the price target to 50p from 52p.
Eurozone business activity hits six-year high in April
Business activity in the eurozone hit a six-year high in April, according to preliminary data released on Friday.
Vernalis receives $2m milestone as part of research collaboration
Shares in Vernalis tumbled on Friday despite the drug developer announcing it had received a $2m milestone under one of its existing research collaborations.
Peel Hunt upgrades Domino's Pizza after recent weakness
Peel Hunt upgraded Domino’s Pizza to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ following recent weakness.
Aviva buys out Vietnam life insurance JV
Aviva has bought VietinBank's entire 50% shareholding in its life insurance joint venture VietinBank Aviva Life Insurance Limited and signed a new distribution agreement with VietinBank to sell life and health insurance products through its network of more than 1,100 branches.