Market Pulse
London open: Equities enjoy pre-Christmas rally as slate of data released
London stocks advanced on Wednesday ahead of a slate of data including the final estimate of third quarter UK gross domestic product.
Panmure Gordon tumbles after saying it expects a full year loss
Shares in Panmure Gordon tumbled after the institutional stockbroker and investment bank said it expects to swing to a full year loss.
Intermediate Capital buys private equity funds investment business
Specialist asset manager Intermediate Capital Group has acquired the Graphite Capital Management LLP's private equity funds investment business for a consideration of around £20m, subject to regulatory approval.
Kier Group announces boardroom changes
Kier Group unveiled boardroom changes on Wednesday, with the news that one of its senior members was to retire.
Premier Oil completes Norwegian assets disposal; sees net debt at $2.3bn
Exploration and production company Premier Oil said it has completed the disposal of Premier Oil Norge AS to Det norske oljeselskap ASA for a net cash consideration of $120m and as a result, it now expects net debt to be just under $2. 3bn (£1. 55bn) at year end.
Big defence deal for Galliford Try
Galliford Try was celebrating a renewed relationship with the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday, having been appointed to two regional frameworks under the Next Generation Estates Contract (NGEC) programme.
London pre-open: Stocks seen higher after upbeat US session
London stocks are expected to open higher on Wednesday, tracking a positive close in the US, where the Dow rose 165 points after better-than-expected GDP figures.
Wednesday newspaper round-up: VAT, Apple, Shell
Tax officials have launched a crackdown on VAT evasion by overseas online retailers amid claims that Amazon and eBay have been “collaborating” with them to defraud the exchequer of large sums. The Treasury said HM Revenue & Customs was gathering intelligence on this particular scam, adding that it was devoting 25 per cent of its customs and international trade effort to tackling import fraud. – Financial Times.
AstraZeneca gout drug gets FDA approval
London’s FTSE 100 is seen starting 43 points higher than Tuesday’s close at 6,126.