Market Pulse
John Laing Infrastructure snaps up two more assets
John Laing Infrastructure Fund has acquired full ownership of a British Transport Police project and agreed to buy a majority of an Oldham social housing project.
Asia report: Markets fail to live up to leap day
It may have been a leap day, but most markets in Asia did anything but as they closed February down on Monday.
Drops in energy and food prices drive Eurozone CPI lower in February
The cost of living in the Eurozone fell in February by much more than had been expected as the retreat in energy prices deepened and inflation registered widespread weakness across the rest of the economy, preliminary data showed.
Mortgage lending hits mid-2008 high in January
Money and credit continued to flow through the UK economy at a healthy pace at the start of the year, with mortgage approvals and lending both running at multi-year highs.
Nissan surges on share buyback
Nissan Motor shares raced ahead in Tokyo after the Japanese car maker said on Friday that it will buy back up to 300m shares, or 400bn yen of common stock.
OneSavings completes purchase of Melbourne Mortgages portfolio
OneSavings Bank added a portfolio of UK second charge mortgages to its books on Monday, completing the purchase from Melbourne Mortgages.
Goldman Sachs downgrades ITV, highlights risk of reinvestment
Goldman Sachs downgraded ITV to ‘neutral’ from ‘buy’ and cut the price target to 297p from 329p on the back of a softer advertising outlook and ongoing rating weakness that it said could weigh on programming costs.
AstraZeneca signs China licensing deal for Plendil
AstraZeneca has entered a licensing deal with China Medical System Holdings Ltd for the commercialisation rights in China to its hypertension medicine Plendil.
WPP buys marketing analytics group and sports consultancy
Media giant WPP announced the acquisitions of an India-based marketing analytics company and a Swiss sports consultancy.
German retail sales rise more than expected in January
German retail sales rose more than expected in January, according to figures released by Destatis on Monday.
Europe open: Stocks fall on weak Asian cues as G20 disappoints
European stocks fell in early trade, taking their cue from a negative session in Asia as investors were left disappointed by the outcome of the G20 meeting in Shanghai.
London open: Stocks slump on G20 China stimulus disappointment
UK stocks declined on Monday on disappointment at the lack of specific stimulus plans for China’s flagging economy at the G20 meeting in Shanghai.
Focus on retail, lack of disasters a good mix for Hiscox
A focus on the retail market, and a lack of major disasters during the year made for some solid preliminary results for 2015 at Hiscox on Monday.
Equity rebound set to continue, JP Morgan says
Global equity markets were set to continue their bounce going into the next European Central Bank policy meeting, but any strength in stocks resulting from the announcement of new stimulus measures would best be used to "reduce exposure again", strategists at JP Morgan said at the start of the week.
Tight defence budgets dampen Ultra Electronics results
Tough decisions for governments were affecting defence budgets, making for difficult trading at Ultra Electronics in 2015, with the company releasing its final report for the calendar year on Monday.
Jupiter Fund Management delivers results for shareholders
Jupiter Fund Management delivered its final results for the 2015 calendar year with pride on Monday, having achieved its key metrics and increasing profits and capital returns for its shareholders across the board.
US close: Wall Street finishes on mixed note
Wall Street finished the week on a mixed note despite better than expected economic data, with the benchmark S&P 500 finishing just below a key level of short-term technical resistance at 1,950 points.
Senior 'strong' as it reports on tougher 2015
Senior described itself as 'strong' on Monday, reporting annual results for a 2015 calendar year impacted by tough trading in a number of areas.
Keller Group in strong position despite revenue dip
Keller Group was looking strong as it reported its final results on Monday, with revenue down as large projects finished, but earnings solid as the company invested in higher-growth markets.
Barclays evaluating options for Africa business
Barclays noted recent media speculation regarding a potential sale of its shareholding in Barclays Africa Group Limited and said it was evaluating its strategic options.