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ECB wary of sending misleading policy signals, minutes show
By and large, monetary policy-makers continued to tread quite carefully when it came to moving to a less accommodative stance, the minutes of their last policy deliberations revealed.
Weekly US jobless claims edge past forecasts
Initial US jobless claims increased by 4,000 to 248,000 during the week ending on 6 July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
US private sector payrolls miss forecasts in June, ADP says
Private sector payrolls in the US increased by less-than-expected last month as hiring in goods-producing sectors flatlined.
US pre-open: Futures point to lower open ahead of slate of data
Stocks futures were pointing to a weaker start to trading on Wall Street, with a softer than expected reading on private sector payrolls doing little to help matters.
London midday: Rising pound weighs on stocks but banks limit losses
London's stock indices were stuttering lower by midday on Thursday as the pound rose amid hawkish central bank talk in Europe and the US, though this was good news for banks and life insurers.
Positive revenue momentum continues at Blancco
Global provider of mobile device diagnostics and secure data erasure solutions Blancco issued a pre-close trading update for the year to 30 June on Thursday, reporting that the positive revenue momentum reported at the interim results had continued through the second half of the year.
Results round-up
Boosted by the weak pound, Associated British Foods improved its performance in the third quarter, with particularly strong trading at its Primark clothing retail arm that has slightly lifted the full year expectations.
Dechra Pharmaceuticals claws higher sales as acquisitions bed in
Veterinary specialist Dechra Pharmaceuticals reported trading in line with forecasts for the full year to end June.
Financial services could boost UK economy by up to £43bn by 2025
The UK finance industry could provide a boost of £43bn to the country’s economy by 2025, according to PricewaterhouseCooper and lobby group TheCityUK.
Europe midday: Soft French debt auction hits stocks
A wave of selling hit European stocks following what some market commentary labelled as a "soft" auction for 30-year French government debt which sent yields flying.
UK to face butter shortage in lead-up to Christmas
Dairy products in the UK could see price rises in the upcoming months after the boss of major dairy firm warned of a shortage of butter and cheese in the lead-up to Christmas.
Thursday broker round-up
Reckitt Benckiser: Jefferies downgrades to Hold with a target price of 8400p.
Asia report: Most markets lower as JGB yields rise
Most markets in Asia finished lower on Thursday, even after a solid showing from Wall Street overnight, with rising oil prices failing to steam up the region’s sentiment.
MySQUAR launches Mingalarbar Morning news aggregator
Myanmar-language social media, entertainment and payments platform MySQUAR announced the release of a news aggregator called Mingalarbar Morning on Thursday, which it said is designed to be used with both desktop and mobile devices.
Ferrexpo pellet production dips
Ferrexpo, the iron ore producer, announced a dip in first-half pellet production from the previous year.
Churchill China announces strong export growth and higher value-added
Churchill China, a specialist in performance ceramic for hospitality and retail markets worldwide, announced strong export sales thanks in part to weakness in Sterling.
ITV eyes Easyjet boss for CEO role
ITV could poach EasyJet's chief executive Carolyn McCall to replace its departed boss, according to City rumours that emerged overnight.
Macquarie flags capital headwinds at Barclays, stays at underperform
Macquarie stayed at 'underperform' on shares of Barclays ahead of the lender's second quarter numbers due on 28 July, telling clients that management's front-loading of expenses - particularly those related to ring-fencing its UK bank - was set to combine with softer revenues at its investment banking arm during the second quarter, weighing on its return on capital.
WTI futures bounce back following API data
Crude oil futures were bouncing back, reclaiming nearly half of the previous day's losses after closely-watched private sector data revealed an unexpected drop in US oil stockpiles over the last week.
Reckitt Benckiser still not fully operational nine days after cyberattack
Reckitt Benckiser warned that the Petya cyberattack last week would hit full year sales but claimed it had made “good progress” in getting key applications and systems “back on track” so it could resume normal trading with all of its customers and partners.