Market Pulse
US close: Stocks end mostly higher as oil prices rally
US stocks ended mostly higher on Thursday, buoyed by a rally in oil prices and dovish remarks from European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi.
SocGen upgrades Pearson as it hails restructuring plan
Societe Generale upgraded Pearson to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ following the education publisher’s announcement of a new restructuring programme on Thursday.
Bonds: Russian central bank reportedly calls emergency meeting, reports claim
These were the movements in some of the most-widely followed longer-term sovereign bond yields:.
Rouble plummets to record low versus dollar
The Russian rouble dropped to a fresh record low against the dollar on Thursday in the wake of the ongoing oil price slump.
Sector Movers: Oil, metals uptick sends resource stocks higher
A commodities market uptick on Thursday ensured resource stocks took a turn for the better with headline London indices ending the session in positive territory.
Commodities: Oil futures bounce on US inventory data
Oil futures reversed declining fortunes on Thursday, posting an uptick in wake of US inventory data, while selected base metal contracts registered gains during European trading.
Weekly US unemployment claims move higher after holidays
Unemployment increased last week Stateside, according to one of the most-tracked barometres of the labour market's health, as firms moved to shed workers taken on ahead of the holidays.
Sports Direct boosts stake in Iconix
Sports Direct took advantage of the recent weakness in equity markets to boost its stake in Nasdaq-listed Iconix Brands to 14. 4%, according to an amended filing with that country’s stock market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Europe close: Stocks and oil futures bounce back
European stocks recovered a tad of their recent losses on Thursday, bouncing back after the heavy losses inflicted during the previous session, after European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi sounded a dovish note and a top Chinese official said weakness in the Yuan was not in the country's best interests.
FX Roundup: Euro tumbles on Draghi comments, rouble hits record low
The euro headed lower on Thursday after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said monetary policy might be reviewed in March, while the Russian rouble hit another record low in wake of the oil price slump.
WTI oil futures rise after weekly US inventory data
US oil stockpiles continued rising last week despite a fall in imports.
London close: Stocks gain on ECB stimulus hopes
UK stocks advanced on Thursday as European Central Bank President Mario Draghi hinted at further stimulus.
Credit Suisse adds Travis Perkins, Whitbread, Imperial Tobacco and Halma to top picks
Analysts at Credit Suisse reshuffled their deck of top outperformers and underperformers on Thursday.
Fusionex shares fall by a third as results divide analyst opinion
Shares in Fusionex International fell to their lowest level since their 2012 flotation after results that divided opinion.
Friday preview: UK retail sales data, Workspace interims
UK retail sales data on Friday is expected to show a 3. 5% rise in December compared to the same month a year ago.
FTSE 250 movers: Halfords leads the peloton
The FTSE 250 was in the black mid-afternoon Thursday, up 164. 74 points (1. 05%) to 15,805. 75.
Broker tips: Schroders, Asos, BHP Billiton
Schroders current share price offers an attractive entry point for investors, having dropped said RBC Capital Markets as it upgraded the asset manager to 'outperform'.
Rotala chairman increases stake in company
Rotala’s chairman has purchased another 113,000 shares in the company through his family trust.
Current market turmoil an "overreaction", Nasdaq CEO says
The current equities market turmoil is an “overreaction”, according to chief executive officer of Nasdaq stock exchange Bob Greifeld.
US open: Stocks bounce back
US markets bounced back at the start of trading on Thursday following dovish remarks from ECB chief Mario Draghi, amid more or less neutral data on US economic activity.