Market Pulse
BoA Merrill downgrades CRH, Wolseley on US construction woes
Bank of America Merrill Lynch downgraded CRH to ‘underperform’ from ‘buy’ and cut the price target to 1,500p from 2,200p.
Morgan Stanley upgrades Weir Group to equalweight
Morgan Stanley has upgraded Weir Group to equalweight and revised its price target to 1,150p.
US jobless claims hit two-month high
The number of first time unemployment benefits claimants in the US surged to a two-month high last week, figures released on Thursday showed.
Broker tips: SSE, Howden Joinery, StanChart
Lower gas prices spell trouble for utilities companies in Europe, especially so for SSE which will see the pressure pile up on its dividend and undermine its premium rating, Goldman Sachs said.
Macquarie downgrades StanChart, analysts left scratching their heads
Standard Chartered's restructuring plan is "rather uninspiring" Macquarie told clients on Thursday, downgrading its recommendation because in its opinion the bank had turned itself from a '2018 hope story' into a '2020 hope story'.
Goldman Sachs adds SSE to Conviction sell list, trims target on Centrica
Lower gas prices spell trouble for utilities companies in Europe, especially so for SSE which will see the pressure pile up on its dividend and undermine its premium rating, Goldman Sachs said.
BoE cuts inflation and growth forecasts on China concerns
Forecasts for UK inflation and growth have been downgraded in the Bank of England's quarterly inflation report due to concerns about global growth, especially in China, with consumer price inflation (CPI) expected to be below its 2% target until the end of 2017.
Altona Energy surges on Arckaringa agreement
Altona Energy and its joint venture partners Sino-Aus Energy Group and Wintask Group have signed an agreement modifying the terms the Arckaringa coals-to-chemicals project in Australia.
Croma profit and revenue tick up but outlook uncertain
Croma Security Solutions posted a rise in pre-tax profit and revenue for the year to the end of June, but sounded a cautious note over the prospects for the coming year.
Thursday newspaper share tips: Investing in Legal and General a good insurance policy
Betting on Legal and General may be a good long-term strategy, according to The Times’s Tempus.
US pre-open: Futures edge higher as investors await more Fed chatter
US stock futures edged higher on Thursday, as investors awaited more indications from the Federal Reserve over the timing of a first interest rates hike.
Asia: Chinese stocks enter bull territory but fail to spark wider region
Asian equity markets endured a mixed day on Thursday, as Chinese shares closed in on bull-market territory but failed to lift stocks across the region.
London midday: FTSE remains in the red as BoE stands pat on rates, asset purchases
The FTSE 100 was underperforming the rest of Europe come midday as the Bank of England stood pat on its key interest rate and asset-purchase programme.
Europe midday: Stocks turn higher as investors shrug off disappointing data
European stocks reversed early losses to nudge higher as investors weighed up some upbeat corporate results against disappointing data releases and digested the latest comments from European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi.
Just Retirement sales jump 41% in first quarter
Just Retirement posted a 41% increase in first quarter sales as it lifted its sales forecast for pension products.
Lancashire lifts special dividend after low losses from Hurricane Patricia
Third quarter profits at Lancashire were ahead of market forecasts as tropical storm Patricia did little damage in Mexico, with the non-life insurer declaring a larger special dividend than expected due to a lighter resinsurance outlook.
Cable & Wireless swings to first half loss
Cable & Wireless swung to a pre-tax loss in the first half on the back of costs related to its acquisition of Columbus Communications.
N+1 Singer upgrades Howden Joinery to buy from hold
Howden Joinery managed to skirt the troubles seen elsewhere in the sector since summer and October trading was "outstanding", so the shares have scope to recover after the battering they took on the heels of Travis Perkins´ warning last month, N+1 Singer told clients.
Pennon wins CMA clearance for Bournemouth Water Deal
Pennon Group has received unconditional clearance from the Competition and Markets Authority for its acquisition of Bournemouth Water and the subsequent merger of Bournemouth Water with South West Water.
Kennedy Wilson reports strong third quarter, announces acquisitions
Property company Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate said it experienced strong trading in the third quarter as it announced the acquisition of four offices in Dublin for €24. 9m (£18. 4m).