Latest News
Walgreens ditches Rite Aid acquisition
Walgreens Boots Alliance has ditched plans to buy rival Rite Aid, agreeing instead to buy 2,186 stores from the company and three distribution centres and related inventory for $5. 2bn in cash.
Merkel set for Trump showdown after vowing climate focus at G20 summit
German chancellor Angela Merkel has set up a tense G20 meeting in Hamburg next week after pledging to focus on climate issues - after Donald Trump pulled the US from the Paris accord earlier this month.
Ilika granted three US patents
Solid-state battery technology and materials developer Ilika announced the grant of three patents covering catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells in the US on Thursday.
Initial US weekly jobless claims edge higher
Layoffs in the US continued to hold at record low levels last week, the latest set of official weekly figures revealed.
German CPI inflation defies forecasts for a fall in June
Inflation in Germany defied forecasts that it would retreat in June.
Brazil falls into deflation in June, paving way for central bank rate cuts
Brazil sank into deflation in June for the first time since 2010 amid broad price declines driven by favourable weather, lower energy costs and weak domestic demand, possibly opening the door to further central bank interest rate cuts.
New strategy boosts Anpario as chairman steps down
Investors in international producer and distributor of natural feed additives for animal health, Anpario, were gathering for the company’s annual general meeting on Thursday, with chairman Richard Rose confirming “strong” sales growth in the year to date.
Eurozone economic sentiment at highest since August 2007, EC says
Economic confidence within the single currency bloc rose back to its highest level since August 2007, just before the start of the last financial crisis.
US pre-open: Stocks seen mixed as investors digest stress test results
US futures pointed to a mixed open on Wall Street on Thursday, with the Nasdaq set to open lower as investors mull over stress test results.
Europe midday: Stocks slip even as confidence gauges hit multi-decade highs
European bank shares pulled further ahead on the back of optimism around their US peers and as market interest rates continued their push higher.
London midday: Stocks in the black as mortgage approvals, consumer credit rise
London stocks were up but off earlier highs by midday, while the pound briefly popped above $1. 30 for the first time in over a month after data showed mortgage approvals and consumer credit picked up more than expected in May, boosting expectations of an interest-rate hike.
Results round-up
FTSE 250 packaging company DS Smith reported a 31% rise in full-year pre-tax profit on Thursday as it announced the acquisition of an 80% stake in US packaging and paper producer Interstate Resources from Merpas Co for $920m.
Broker tips: Petra Diamonds, Inmarsat, HSBC
Analysts at Investec marked down their target price for Petra Diamonds following the company's warning the day before on full-year guidance and that it would seek to renegotiate the covenants attached to its debt.
Petra Diamonds may need to raise fresh equity, Investec says
Analysts at Investec marked down their target price for Petra Diamonds following the company's warning the day before on its full-year guidance and that it would seek to renegotiate the covenants attached to its debt.
Harvey Nash focussing on tech talent as it prepares AIM move
Recruitment and professional services company Harvey Nash Group was set to hold its annual general meeting on Thursday, with chairman Julie Baddeley preparing to tell investors of the firm’s progress with its new technology-focussed talent strategy.
Deutsche Bank reiterates buy on Inmarsat following deployment of S-band satellite
Analysts at Deutsche Bank reiterated their 'buy' recommendation on shares of Inmarsat following the successful launch of its S-band satellite for the EAN network.
HSBC boosted as Morgan Stanley upgrades to 'overweight'
HSBC got a boost on Thursday after Morgan Stanley upgraded the bank to ‘overweight’ from ‘equal weight’.
Rolls-Royce to invest £150m in UK aerospace facilities
Aerospace and defence group Rolls-Royce will sustain more than 7,000 jobs across the East Midlands as it invests £150m in new and existing civil aerospace in the UK to support the planned doubling of engine production and deliver on its civil aerospace order book.
Thursday broker round-up
HSBC: Morgan Stanley upgrades to Overweight with a target price of 850p.
Germans' income expectations at highest since reunification in June, GfK says
Consumer spirits in the euro area's largest economy improved further in June as German's confidence in the economy hit an almost three-year high, alongside income expectations which were at their strongest since reunification, in 1991.