Market Pulse
Brussels police detain two over Paris attacks
Police in Belgium have detained two people for questioning following a raid on homes in Brussels in an investigation linked to the Paris terrorist attacks last month.
RBC Capital adjusts ratings on general retail stocks
RBC Capital Markets downgraded Marks & Spencer to ‘outperform’ from ‘top pick’ and Associated British Foods to ‘underperform’ from ‘sector perform’ but lifted Dixons Carphone to ‘top pick’ from outperform, as it took a look at the general retail sector.
Oil futures drop to pre-crisis lows
Brent crude futures plumbed their lowest level on Monday since July 2004, as speculation of a global oil glut continued to build.
Azerbaijan´s currency plunges after central bank moves to free-float
Azerbaijan moved its currency to a free-float regime on Monday, under pressure from the plummeting price of oil and similar decisions taken by some of its trading partners earlier in the year.
Firms fear impact of living wage, says CBI survey
British businesses were concerned about the effects of a living wage on economic growth, according to a business lobby group.
Ericsson surges on patent license agreement with Apple
Shares in Ericsson surged on Monday after the Swedish telecom equipment maker settled a legal dispute with Apple Inc over mobile-device patents.
Casino hits back at Muddy Waters report
French supermarket operator Casino Guichard-Perrachon hit back on Monday at last week’s damning report by research firm Muddy Waters Research, which said it was “one of the most overvalued and misunderstood companies” it had ever come across.
German producer prices see sharp drop in November
German producer prices posted their sharpest annual drop in nearly six years in November, according to data released by Destatis.
Decline in German factory prices accelerates in November
Factory prices in the euro area´s largest economy fell more quickly in November than in the previous month, dragged lower by falling energy quotes.
London open: Stocks gain as metal prices boost mining shares
UK equities were given a boost by mining shares on Monday morning as metal prices edged higher.
Europe open: Stocks rise but Spain's IBEX slumps after inconclusive election
European stocks were in the black in early trade, shrugging off weaker oil prices at the start of what is likely to be a fairly quiet week, although Spanish markets bucked the trend following an inconclusive general election.
Acquisition of Gala Bingo completed by Caledonia Investments
Caledonia Investments’ £241m acquisition of Gala Bingo has been completed after it was approved by the Gambling Commission.
James Packer steps down from Crown Resorts board
James Packer has resigned from the board of Australian-listed Crown Resorts Limited, just four months after vacating the chair to focus on the company’s international interests.
Meggitt completes acquisition of EDAC composites division
Meggitt has completed the $340m (£228m) acquisition of the composites division of EDAC after receiving the customary US regulatory approvals.
Bank of England unlikely to follow Fed's lead, says Major
The UK remained unlikely to raise interest rates rapidly in the wake of last week's landmark US Federal Reserve decision, a former prime minister said on Sunday.
Toshiba predicts record loss as it outines restructuring
Toshiba Corp said on Monday that it expects to report a record annual loss of 550bn yen (£3bn) as it carries out a restructuring to streamline its focus on chips and nuclear energy following a $1. 3bn (157bn yen) accounting scandal.
Spain headed into at least months of uncertainty after elections
Spaniards may be headed into months of political uncertainty - and possibly worse - following the results of Sunday´s elections, according to some political observers.
BG and Shell closing in on merger
BG and Royal Dutch Shell will on Monday seek High Court approval to hold shareholder meetings over their £55bn merger following satisfaction of the final pre-condition to the recommended combination and with the unanimous approval of both boards.
Harf to leave Reckitt Benckiser board to focus on JAB role
Reckitt Benckiser Group has announced that Peter Harf will step down from the board to focus on his chief executive role at JAB.
Dairy Crest takes full ownership of Promovita joint venture
Dairy Crest took full ownership of its galacto-oligosaccharide business on Monday.