Market Pulse
FTSE 250 movers: Serco results boost index
The FTSE 250 surged on Thursday, up 277. 90 points (1. 72%) to 16,395. 40 by mid-afternoon.
BP non-execs including veteran Bergmans to stand down
Two non-executive directors at oil and gas giant BP will not be seeking re-election at the company’s annual general meeting scheduled in April.
Petrofac calls in Brammer non-exec
Andrea Abt, a non-executive director at Brammer, is to be appointed as a non-executive director of Petrofac with effect from 19 May.
US open: Stocks fall as oil prices slide
US stocks declined on Thursday as an upbeat report on durable goods orders was offset by a fall in oil prices.
US durable goods orders bounce back in January
US durable goods orders bounced back in January but an underlying proxy for trends in investment in the wider economy was still well in the red.
SafeCharge secures contract with Paddy Power Betfair
SafeCharge International announced on Thursday that it has secured a contract with newly-merged bookmaker and online gambling group Paddy Power Betfair.
FTSE 100 movers: Lloyds leads index back over 6,000
The FTSE 100 was back over 6,000 on Thursday, erasing losses from the previous two days.
Jefferies upgrades Petrofac to 'buy'
Jefferies upgraded Petrofac to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ and lifted the price target to 855p from 745p.
Berenberg downgrades Next, expects challenging year for sector
Berenberg downgraded Next to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’ and cut the price target to 7,300 from 7,600p.
Investec and ShoreCap positive on Lloyds, reaffirm buys
Statutory profits at Lloyds took a hit from another £2. 1bn provision for payment protection insurance in the last three months of 2015 but the shares were trading at a hefty discount to their 'fair value', Shore Capital said.
US weekly jobless claims rise as expected, economists sanguine
The US jobs market eased a tad more than economists had been expecting last week.
Thursday newspaper share tips: Current housing climate makes Barratt a good deal
The Times’ Tempus believed the success of Barratt Developments, especially in the current housing climate, is a good reason to ‘buy’.
HICL Infrastructure remains confident as demand outstrips supply
HICL Infrastructure Company confirmed its dividend targets for the current and next financial years as it noted the continuing imbalance between weak supply and high demand for new infrastructure investments.
US house price growth continued at elevated pace in fourth quarter
House prices in the States increased at a slightly lower pace than expected in December, with the Northwestern and Central US clocking in with the largest annual gains.
US pre-open: Market set to open higher despite oil, China
US futures were set to rebound somewhat despite unstable oil prices and China’s markets tumbling.
BT keeps hold of Openreach but must 'open up' network, says Ofcom
BT Group may still be forced spin off its Openreach infrastructure arm, regulator Ofcom said, unless it effectively opens up the network to rivals and implements major reforms.
Thursday broker round-up
Petrofac: Jefferies upgrades buy with a target price of 855p, JP Morgan reiterates overweight with a target of 944p and Citigroup stays at buy.
Areva delays earnings as it secures bridge loan
French nuclear firm Areva has put back the publication of its annual results by a day as it finalises the documentation relating to a bridge loan it has just secured to help keep it afloat.
Credit Suisse sticks by overweight on Mexican stocks, peso weakness overdone
Credit Suisse stuck to its overweight recommendation on Mexican equities on Thursday, despite the country´s currency having recently behaved like one of the "more fragile emerging market economies".
UBS adds Schroders to 'Key Calls' list
UBS added Schroders, which it rates at ‘buy’ with a 2,800p price target, to its ‘Key Calls’ list despite the headwinds facing UK asset managers, as the stock is currently undervalued.