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US close: Stocks finish flat ahead of non-farm payrolls
US stocks finished mixed on Thursday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq pausing just under the record highs reached the previous session as investors refrained from taking on too much risk ahead of Friday's all-important employment report.
Friday preview: US non-farm payrolls, China foreign trade data
Investors' focus at the end of the week will be squarely on the US non-farm payrolls report for the month of May.
London close: Stocks rise tracking record highs on Wall Street
London stocks moved up on Thursday even as they waited on a potentially key monthly jobs report due out the next day in the States.
Europe close: Stocks finish higher after ECB cuts interests rates
European stocks finished firmly higher on Thursday after the European Central Bank cut interest rates for the first time in five years, pushing the regional Stoxx 600 index to a new all-time high.
Director dealings: Hilton Food chairman offloads shares
Hilton Food Group revealed on Thursday that chairman Robert Watson had disposed of 14,747 ordinary shares in the FTSE 250-listed food packaging business.
Broker tips: DCC, FirstGroup
JPMorgan Cazenove reinstated coverage of DCC on Thursday with an 'overweight' rating and 6,700. 0p price target, stating that it was positive on the stock for three reasons.
FTSE 100 movers: JD Sports in fashion; Vodafone goes ex-div
London’s FTSE 100 was up 0. 3% at 8,272. 80 in afternoon trade on Thursday.
US open: Stock cautiously higher following jobless numbers
Major indices were cautiously higher early on Thursday as market participants digested a number of data points, including this week's jobless claims data from the Labor Department.
FTSE 250 movers: Wood soars on Sidara talks; Bridgepoint falls on founder departure
FTSE 250 (MCX) 20,705. 11 0. 15%.
Big Lots shares dive as Q1 results miss forecasts
The share price of Big Lots plunged by a fifth on Thursday after the American discount chain reported a big drop in sales and a wider-than-expected loss in its first quarter which it blamed on a "challenging consumer environment".
S4 Capital reiterates full-year targets
Digital advertising and marketing agency S4 Capital reiterated its full-year targets on Thursday despite "volatile" global macroeconomic conditions.
US jobless claims come in ahead of expectations
Americans lined up for unemployment benefits at an accelerated clip in the week ended 1 June, according to the Department of Labor.
ECB cuts rates for first time in five years
The European Central Bank cut interest rates by 25 basis points on Thursday, as widely expected.
Mitie revenues hit record £4.5bn on contract wins
Annual profits at outsourcing giant Mitie surged as revenues hit a record £4. 5bn – in line with company expectations laid out in April's trading update.
Antofagasta shares rise on Centinela water-supply deal
Shares in copper miner Antofagasta were rising on Thursday after the company announced the completion of a water-supply agreement at its Centinela project in Chile.
Camellia FY revenues seen higher, pre-tax losses expected to widen
Tea producer Camellia said on Thursday that annual revenues were expected to grow year-on-year despite reduced tea production expectations in India and further drops in tea prices in both Kenya and Malawi.
UK economy to grow by more than expected - BCC
The British Chambers of Commerce upgraded its outlook for the UK economy on Thursday, but warned long-term growth was likely to be subdued.
US pre-open: Futures little changed following Nvidia's record-setting rally
Wall Street futures were little changed ahead of the bell on Thursday as market participants awaited the release of this week's jobless claims data from the Labor Department.
Europe midday: Stoxx hits fresh high ahead of ECB decision
European shares hit fresh highs on Thursday with all eyes were on the European Central Bank for a widely-expected cut in interest rates.
London midday: Stocks tick up ahead of expected ECB rate cut
London stocks had ticked higher by midday on Thursday as investors eyed an expected 25 basis points rate cut from the European Central Bank.