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Scotland could hold referendum without UK's approval - SNP deputy
Scotland could press ahead with a second referendum on independence, even if Westminster does not give its approval, the deputy leader of the Scottish National Party has claimed.
France targets 30 tech giants with new internet tax rules
France said on Wednesday it plans to introduce 3% tax on tech giants with revenues over €750m including French revenue of over €25m, such as Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook.
Planes to keep flying in event of no-deal Brexit - UK government
Flights in and out of the UK are set to continue after 29 March, the government confirmed on Thursday, even if the country quits the European Union without a deal.
Aviva says it needs to make 'significant improvements'
Aviva announced a change to its dividend policy and said it needs to make "significant improvements" in the business as profits for 2018 came in slightly better than analysts expected.
SocGen downgrades Rio, BHP as it turns more cautious on miners
Rio Tinto and BHP were knocked lower on Thursday as Societe Generale downgraded its recommendation on both stocks as it moved to a more cautious stance on most of the metals and mining stocks it covers following year-to-date gains.
Melrose says changes at GKN having positive effect
Melrose Industries said its results for 2018 are ahead of the board's and analysts' expectations, eight months after acquiring engineer GKN.
British consumers do not understand cryptocurrencies - FCA
A majority of British consumers do not know what cryptocurrencies are – and those who are buying the digital assets do not fully understand what they purchasing, according to Financial Conduct Authority.
US pre-open: Stocks to edge lower as investors eye ECB, Sino-US relations
US stocks looked set to edge lower again on Thursday as investors continued to keep a close eye on trade developments between the US and China, with the European Central Bank rate announcement and the latest jobless claims also in focus.
Euro area GDP growth picks-up slightly in the fourth quarter of 2018
Economic growth in the euro area picked-up slightly at the end of 2018, official data confirmed, but the difference between the bloc's performance over the two halves of last year was stark.
London midday: Stocks maintain losses as ex-divs weigh; Melrose bucks trend
A large number of stocks going ex-dividend took its toll on London equity markets on Thursday, with disappointing earnings from the likes of NMC Health, Aviva and Admiral adding to the downside as investors eyed the latest policy announcement from the European Central Bank.
Trump 'disappointed' as further evidence of North Korean nuclear activity surfaces
US President Donald Trump has said he will be "disappointed" if it is confirmed that North Korea has begun rebuilding one of its missile launch sites.
Peel Hunt downgrades Quiz as profit warning sends shares into freefall
Peel Hunt downgraded its stance on fashion brand Quiz to 'sell' from 'hold' on Thursday after it issued its second profit warning this year, cutting the price target to 12p from 25p.
United Carpets profits hit by Brexit fears
Floor coverings retailer United Carpets expects profits to fall almost two-thirds in its current financial year as Brexit fears weaken consumer confidence.
John Lewis partners feel the pinch as profits collapse
Annual profits at the John Lewis Partnership have fallen by more than 45%, as challenging conditions on the high street hurt sales across its department stores.
CLS Holdings achieves revenue growth in 'robust' results
CLS Holdings reported a drop in annual profits as double-digit revenue growth was not enough to make up for far lower income from property sales compared to the previous year.
Europe open: Stocks dip as investors wait on ECB
Stocks across the Continent are drifting lower ahead of a key meeting of the European Central Bank and with investors in a holding pattern as they wait for greater clarity on the state of US-China trade talks and a report on US non-farm payrolls the next day.
JPM upgrades Ultra Electronics on reduced risk profile
Ultra Electronics results this week and management's confidence "draw a line under a challenging two years" and led JPMorgan Cazenove to take a positive view of the defence contractor's shares.
Chinese FX reserves edge higher in February, pointing to scant pressure on yuan
China's foreign exchange reserves were little changed last month, pointing to scant downside pressure on the country's currency, but some analysts believed that state-of-affairs would soon be put to the test.
Countrywide losses widen after Q4 housing market slowdown
Countrywide shares were under the cosh on Thursday after the estate agent said annual losses widened as the housing market slowed in the fourth quarter on the back of Brexit uncertainty and warned that first-half earnings would take a hit.
Greggs profits mushroom and 2019 continues on a roll
British bakery chain Greggs said it expected to pay a special dividend later this year after profits mushroomed last year and 2019 got off to a flying start.