Market Pulse
S&P downgrades Rolls-Royce's credit outlook on demand concerns
Standard & Poor's has cut Rolls-Royce's debt outlook to 'negative' due to what it sees as weaker business prospects at the engine-maker.
Brady says full-year to be in line with market forecasts
Brady’s shares gained on Monday after the software company said in a trading update that full-year results are expected to be in line with market forecasts.
WhatsApp scraps subscription fees, commits to ad-free app
WhatsApp has announced that its app will be completely free, scrapping its annual subscription fee.
Ixico wins four new contracts worth over £3m
Brain health company Ixico was recently awarded four new contracts with “leading” pharmaceutical groups and a specialist biotechnology firm totalling over £3m in value.
Adidas names Henkel's Rorsted as new CEO
Adidas has named Kasper Rorsted as its new chief executive to replace long-standing boss Herbert Hainer.
Loss of GBP1.4200-level could send pound sharply lower, CMC says
The pound appeared to test a critical level of technical support on Monday, with further losses and volatility to be expected should the said level be lost, according to analysts at CMC Markets UK.
Shell to exit development of Bab sour gas reservoirs
Royal Dutch Shell plans to exit its joint development of the Bab sour gas reservoirs with ADNOC in Abu Dhabi.
Tuesday preview: Attention turns to UK inflation and Chinese GDP data
UK inflation and Chinese economic growth data will steal the limelight on Tuesday.
Tata Steel to cut 1,050 UK jobs as cheap imports flood market
Indian-owned Tata Steel UK said on Monday that it plans to cut 1,050 jobs.
France's Hollande unveils measures to boost employment
France's president Francois Hollande has declared "a state of economic and social emergency" as he announced a new job creation scheme.
OPEC sees higher demand for its oil in 2016
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will need to ramp up their production by considerably more than was expected next year in order to balance demand and supply, the group said on Monday.
BP gushes higher on SocGen upgrade
BP rose to the top of the FTSE 100 as investors reacted to an upgrade of the stock by Societe Generale late on Friday.
WPP's Cohn & Wolfe buys majority stake in Brazilian PR firm
WPP’s wholly-owned communications agency, Cohn &Wolfe, has bought a majority interest in Brazilian public relations group Máquina for an undisclosed sum.
ITV confirms director reshuffle but not Archie Norman reports
ITV has confirmed the departure of its director of television but not reports that chairman Archie Norman is also stepping down.
Broker tips: ITV, Premier Oil, William Hill
HSBC has upgraded ITV from ‘hold’ to ‘buy’ and increased its target price from 275p to 305p on prospects of what it thinks will be another strong year.
Flowtech Fluidpower investors set to see dividend increase
Flowtech Fluidpower’s revenue for the year is expected to rise 18% to £44. 7m, prompting the company to propose an increase to its dividend.
Bunnings brand to replace Homebase as Home Retail agrees Australian sale
Home Retail Group has agreed to sell its Homebase division to Australia's Wesfarmers in a move which will see the well-known brand disappear.
London midday: Stocks fluctuate as oil prices rebound, China introduces new measures
The FTSE fluctuated between highs and lows on Monday as oil prices picked up and China’s central bank introduced measures to stem capital outflows.
Europe midday: Stocks slip into the red but oil prices stabilise
European stocks slipped into the red, unable to hold on to initial gains despite stabilising oil prices, as worries about China and the oil market weighed on investors’ minds.
Casino slumps as S&P says it may downgrade credit to junk
Shares in Casino Guichard Perrachon slumped on Monday even as the French supermarket operator attempted to assuage investors’ concerns after ratings agency Standard & Poor's said it might downgrade its debt to junk status.