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London midday: Stocks turn lower as investors eye ECB; ex-divs weigh
London equity markets had moved into the red by midday on Thursday as investors eyed the latest policy announcement from the European Central Bank, with ex-dividend stocks proving to be a drag.
HSBC pledges to end coal financing under shareholder pressure
HSBC has pledged to phase out financing of coal by 2040 under pressure from a $2. 4trn coalition of shareholders.
Europe midday: Shares hold ground ahead of ECB policy meeting
European shares held their ground at midday as investors awaited the European Central Bank meeting for any indication on how it viewed rising bond yields.
Norwegian Air submits final offer to creditors
Norwegian Air submitted its final restructuring offer to creditors and shareholders on Thursday as the company moves to slash debt and reduce its fleet.
Savills reinstates dividend as full-year profits fall
International real estate agent Savills reinstated its dividend as it reported a sharp fall in full-year profits due to coronavirus lockdowns.
7digital wins contract with Chinese social media firm
End-to-end digital music solutions provider 7digital said on Thursday that it had been selected by Chinese social media giant Kuaishou to power music in its applications worldwide.
Greatland Gold reports more 'outstanding' drilling results from Havieron
Exploration and development company Greatland Gold reported further “outstanding” infill drilling results from the Havieron deposit in Western Australia’s Paterson region on Thursday, with all 26 new drill holes intersecting mineralisation.
Sosandar to join forces with M&S as retailer boosts brand offering
Women's fashion brand Sosandar has agreed a partnership with Marks & Spencer, part of a concerted effort by the high street retailer to bolster its online offering.
Morrisons pays special dividend as annual profits halved
Supermarket chain Morrisons saw annual profits halved as it was impacted by extra Covid-19 costs, but also declared a special dividend alongside a final payout.
Funds under management reach record levels at Brooks Macdonald
Investment manager Brooks Macdonald said on Thursday that its total funds under management reached a record level of £15. 5bn at its half-year on 31 December, representing an increase of 13. 3% in the period.
Denmark halts AstraZeneca jab over blood clot concern
Denmark has suspended use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine after a Danish person was one of several cases of blood clots among vaccinated people, the country's health authority said.
Asia report: Most markets higher as Democrats pass US stimulus
Most markets in Asia finished in positive territory on Thursday, with stocks in China and Korea leading the gains, following a solid session on Wall Street overnight after House Democrats in Washington managed to pass president Joe Biden’s $1. 9trn coronavirus relief package.
Volution sees FY earnings ahead of market expectations
Volution posted a rise in interim profit and revenue on Thursday as it said full-year earnings are set to be ahead of current market expectations thanks to strong margin expansion.
WANdisco enters partnership with cloud specialist Snowflake
Data technology company WANdisco announced a partnership with cloud specialist Snowflake on Thursday, to “automate, accelerate and simplify” the migration of on-premises ‘Hadoop’ analytics workloads to Snowflake's data platform.
John Lewis plunges to annual loss, warns of further store closures
John Lewis & Partners has plunged to a record £517m annual loss and warned of further store closures after enduring "one of the most challenging years" in its history.
Cohort subsidiary wins three UK defence contracts
Technology company Cohort announced on Thursday that its subsidiary Marlborough Communications (MCL) has been awarded three new contracts with the UK Ministry of Defence, worth a combined value of about £9. 2m.
Ofgem cuts returns from local electricity networks
Ofgem has cut returns for shareholders of UK local electricity networks by a third to keep prices low while requiring higher investment in greener energy.
Marston’s CEO Findlay to step down after 20 years
Pub chain Marston’s said on Thursday that chief executive officer Ralph Findlay plans to step down at the end of the financial year in September after 20 years in the role.
Rolls-Royce sticks to cash flow target after £4bn loss
Rolls-Royce reported a £4bn annual loss that was worse than expected but stuck to its prediction that it would start to generate cash in the second half of 2021.
SmartSpace FY revenues slide despite SaaS growth
Software firm SmartSpace reinstated guidance on Thursday and warned that full-year revenues looked set to have contracted in the twelve months ended 31 January.