Fidelity Top Stories
WHO warns of potential 'catastrophic moral failure' in vaccine rollouts
The head of the World Health Organisation called for what he said would be a more equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines globally, warning that it was more important than ever given the appearance of new strains of the novel coronavirus.
China GDP grows 2.3% in 2020 after Q4 surge
China’s economy grew by 2. 3% in 2020 in a sharp rebound from the coronavirus pandemic which tore through the country in the early part of the year, according to official figures released on Monday.
Spirent sees FY in line with consensus as 5G drives revenues
Telecommunications testing firm Spirent said full-year profits were expected to be in line with expectations after a strong fourth quarter driven by work on 5G infrastructure.
Pfizer to temporarily slow deliveries as key factory is revamped
Pfizer will slow deliveries of its Covid-19 vaccine over the next three to four weeks in order to upgrade a key facility and boost production across the remainder of 2021.
US consumer confidence only dips in January, University of Michigan says
Consumer confidence in the States only dipped at the turn of the year despite the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic and poor political headlines, the results of a closely-followed survey revealed.
JP Morgan blows doors off analysts' Q4 estimates
Banking heavyweight JP Morgan blew past analysts' forecasts for the fourth quarter as the lender released $2. 9bn of reserves on the back of the improved outlook.
Petrofac says no current employees face charges under SFO probe
Petrofac on Friday said no charges have been brought against any group company or current employees after a former senior executive at the oil services firm pleaded guilty to three offences related to $3. 3bn of work secured in the United Arab Emirates.
Meggitt sees FY in line but cautions on air travel recovery
Defence and aerospace engineer Meggitt said it expected full year results to be in line with expectations but cautioned that the expected recovery in air travel from the Covid pandemic would take longer than expected.
Pubs and restaurants hit by Christmas misery - survey
Tightening restrictions to stem Covid-19 infections caused Christmas misery for Britain's pubs and restaurants as sales plunged, a survey showed.
US import prices jump past forecasts in December
The cost of goods purchases overseas rose at nearly twice the expected pace at the end of 2020, driven by higher fuel prices.
Most who have had Covid-19 protected for 'at least' five months, study shows
People who have recovered from Covid-19 are "highly likely" to have immunity for at least five months, but may still infect others, a study found.
Couch-Tard Carrefour €16bn bid faces resistance from French ministers
The possible €16bn purchase of supermarket retailer Carrefour by Canada’s Couche-Tard has already met with opposition from French government ministers concerned over “food sovereignty”.
Bikes power Halfords Q3 sales, but warning on motoring unit
Bike and car products retailer Halfords said third quarter sales leapt 11. 5% as Britons got on their bikes during the Covid-19 crisis, but warned of a hit to its motoring business with fewer vehicles on the road.
Data on vaccine's ability to block Covid-19 transmission 'promising', Pfizer says
Data from animal trials on the ability of Pfizer and BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine to block transmission of the novel coronavirus are "promising", the chairman of the former said.
Johnson and Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine approval possible in March
Emergency Use Approval for Johnson&Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine may not arrive before March, potentially a few weeks later than had been hoped for.
US CPI rises a bit more quickly than expected in December
The cost of living in the US rose a bit more quickly than expected at the end of 2020, mainly due to a jump in energy costs, although price pressures at the 'core' level remained subdued.
ECB's Lagarde slams lack of regulation on Bitcoin
The head of the European Central Bank called for global regulators to close off the 'loopholes' allowing Bitcoin to be used for 'funny business' such as money laundering.
Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine trial results due soon, NYT says
Late stage clinical trial results for Johnson&Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine may be published in two weeks' time, possibly paving the way for the approval of another shot to combat the pandemic and further boosting supplies.
Carrefour shares soar on merger talks with Canada's Couche-Tard
Shares in French grocery giant Carrefour soared on Wednesday after news that Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard had made a friendly approach on a potential merger.
Europe open: Shares muted as investors look for direction
European shares were subdued on Wednesday with a profit warning from Danish wind farm developer Oersted and worries over the rise in Covid-19 cases dragging on sentiment.