Market Pulse
US open: Major M&A deals push equities higher
US equities gained ground early on Wednesday as Wall Street looked to have put last week’s wobble behind it, while some investors focused on big M&A deals.
SEC charges duo with insider trading over healthcare deals
Two Chinese citizens at a peer-to-peer lending platform have been charged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on account of insider trading allegations, Reuters reports.
Apple crunched by negative views
Shares in Apple moved lower on Wednesday after trimmed forecasts from Credit Suisse were followed by a negative write-up by a prominent investment manager.
Chart patterns suggest US dollar index set to plow ahead
The US dollar index has broken a chart pattern known as a "triangle" formation to the upside, suggesting further gains may lie ahead, according to analysts cited by Blomberg.
Quixant completes Densitron deal
Computer systems supplier and developer Quixant has completed the acquisition of display solution provider Densitron Technologies for £7. 66m.
Volution to buy heating products company Energy Technique for GBP9.3m
Volution Group has reached an agreement to acquire fan coils and commercial heating products company Energy Technique for around £9. 3m.
London midday: FTSE in the black but underperforming peers after employment data
Stocks in London appeared to be headed for their first gain in five days following an employment report that economists described as a "mixed bag" - or worse - and with M&A news underpinning sentiment.
21st Century Technology awarded rail and transport authority deals
21st Century Technology has been awarded a contract with one of the UK's major rail franchises, as well as a new framework agreement with a large passenger transport authority.
US home mortgage applications decline in first week of November
Applications for US home mortgages fell last week, data released on Wednesday showed.
TalkTalk rallies on dividend surprise; hack cost estimated at up to GBP35m
Shares in TalkTalk rallied after it surprised the market by lifting its interim dividend, as it estimated the one-off financial impact of the cyber attack that occurred in October at between £30m and £35m.
Jefferies downgrades Whitbread as it highlights growth of room-sharing economy
Jefferies downgraded Whitbread to ‘underperform’ from ‘hold’ and cut the price target to 4,100p from 4,300p.
US pre-open: Futures edge higher as Wall Street looks to recover from rate-hike fear
US stock futures gained ground on Wednesday as Wall Street looked to have put last week’s wobble behind it.
Flybe puts profit on the radar as turnaround plan kicks in
Flybe swung to a profit in the first half of the year as the budget airline’s turnaround plan begins to bear fruit.
Europe midday: Equities advance as investors await Draghi's speech
European stocks rose on Wednesday as investors looked to a speech by European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi.
Wednesday newspaper share tips: Vodafone worth a long-term look
Vodafone is worth a long-term buy, according to newspaper pundits at The Times and The Telegraph.
WPP's GroupM acquires majority stake in SA-based Yonder Media
WPP said its media investment management business, GroupM, has acquired a majority stake in South Africa-based marketing agency Yonder Media for an undisclosed sum.
Asia: Equities advance despite mixed economic data from China
Most Asian equity markets advanced on Wednesday, as investors shrugged off another batch of mixed data from China.
Centamin earnings squeezed by rising costs and falling gold price
Egyptian gold miner Centamin kept production levels up in the third quarter but rising cash costs and a falling gold price led to a crunch on profits.
Auto Trader dips on neutral downgrade from Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs has downgraded Auto Trader from 'buy' to 'neutral' as the quality of exposure looks largely priced in.
Electra Private Equity completes Park Resorts merger
Investment trust Electra Private Equity has completed the merger of Parkdean Holidays and Park Resorts Group.