Market Pulse
Europe midday: Stocks in the red as resources drop; oil slides
Basic resources paced the decline in European stocks on Wednesday, with energy issues also under the cosh as oil prices slid.
Investec upgrades William Hill, sees potential for short-term rally
Investec upgraded William Hill to ‘add’ from ‘sell’ and lifted the price target to 404p from 346p.
US central bank may need to be more patient, Fed´s Kaplan says
The multiple headwinds the US economy was encountering argued for patience when deciding on interest rates, a top US central bank official told the Financial Times on Wednesday.
Asia report: Oil makes for a slippery Wednesday
Wednesday brought grim news for most markets in Asia, amid a global slump in energy and banking stocks.
Aston Martin to build second manufacturing plant in Wales
Iconic British car maker Aston Martin said it will create up to 4,000 jobs in the UK as it announced plans to build a second manufacturing facility in St Athan, Wales.
LGO Energy claims progress in investment talks
Shares in LGO Energy surged as investors excitement over a potential $20m new investment offset worries about defaulted debts.
Pension mis-selling could add to financial sector woe, warns National Audit Office
A wave of mis-selling compensation could continue to hit the UK financial industry, the government's National Audit Office has warned in a new report, raising doubts about the effectiveness of regulatory interventions to prevent this.
Peel Hunt initiates Greggs at 'buy'
Peel Hunt initiated coverage of Greggs with a ‘buy’ rating and a 1,200p price target.
Escher Group Holdings invests in fintech startup
Escher Group Holdings has given a helping hand to financial technology start up Deposify.
Meggitt downgraded as shares look expensive
JP Morgan Cazenove has downgraded Meggitt from ‘neutral’ to ‘underweight’ as the company looked too expensive.
Capital & Counties retail strength offsets slowdown
Covent Garden and Earls Court owner Capital & Counties Properties generated a 16% increase in net asset value after a strong year for retail leasing but a slowdown in the second half of the year hit residential activity.
BofA Merill downgrades StanChart after results
Standard Chartered was under pressure for the second day running as Bank of America Merrill Lynch downgraded stock to ‘neutral’ from ‘buy’ and slashed the price target to 475p from 650p following its 2015 results.
Majority of Britons want EU´s powers curtailed, survey finds
A majority of Britons wanted to remain in the European Union; but to a certain extent that depended on whom you asked, the results of three opinion polls found.
UBS upgrades Persimmon on yield potential
UBS lifted Persimmon to ‘buy’ from ‘neutral’ and raised the price target to 2,330p from 2,135p following earnings revisions and what it reckons is an underappreciated potential to return even more cash to shareholders.
London open: Stocks slide on fall in oil prices, Brexit fears
UK equities declined on Wednesday as another slide in oil prices and fears over the consequences of a possible Brexit weighed on investor sentiment.
HSBC says Brexit need not be unmitigated disaster, pound falls
Sterling dropped below the psychological 1. 40 mark versus the US dollar on Wednesday morning, with HSBC warning of the risk of a large disruption to economic activity at least in the short-term, although on a longer time-horizon there might be benefits to be had.
Europe open: Basic resource stocks pace the decline
European stocks fell again on Wednesday, taking their cue from mostly negative sessions in the US and Asia, with commodities and energy issues under pressure as oil slid.
Rathbone Brothers full year funds under management grow
Wealth manager Rathbone Brothers posted a rise in full year 2015 profit and funds under management despite subdued investment markets.
International Personal Finance profit dips as regulatory matters hit company
Despite an increase in customers and the amount of credit issued, International Personal Finance’s revenue and profit before tax has dipped.
Hays net fees, profit edge up on strong performance in Europe
FTSE 250 recruiter Hays posted a rise in net fees and pre-tax profit for the six months to the end of December, helped along by a strong performance in Europe.