Market Pulse
Sponsored content: Spain's ICO becomes a main issuer in Social Bond market
Instituto de Crédito Oficial –ICO– (www. ico. es) is a state-owned bank attached to the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Spanish Government. With more than 30 years’ experience, ICO has become a leading credit institution in financing SMEs and large-scale infrastructure projects in Spain and abroad. The Institute’s purpose is to boost any economic activity which, on account of its social, cultural, innovative or ecological significance, merits promotion and development.
Commodities: Copper and crude oil futures pace gains
Gains in the energy space pushed the Bloomberg Commodity Index higher by 0. 72% to 161. 20 on Friday, with some analysts continuing to hold divergent views on the outlook for prices.
Sector movers: Financials pace gains, led by Aviva
Financials led gains at the end of the week in a delayed reaction to the barrage of easing measures unleashed by the European Central Bank in the previous session.
Friday newspaper share tips: Aviva, Morrisons
Prudential is not the only insurer that has set aside a hefty stash of capital to deal with unexpected troubles.
Onzima Ventures bounces further on N4 Pharma patent deal
Onzima Ventures' recent investment in drug reformulations outfit N4 Pharma has paid off again as N4 acquired rights to cherry-pick the best of a wide ranging portfolio of drugs rights.
Europe close: Banks lead rally as investors digest ECB policy moves
European stocks bounced back on Friday, with banks leading the charge as investors reassessed the implications of the European Central Bank’s latest stimulus measures.
FX round-up: Euro steady against Greenback, not so versus sterling
Risk appetite ticked up on Friday albeit with a 24-hour delay, as investors digested the barrage of measures announced by the European Central Bank on the previous day.
Director dealing: Prudential and BHP veterans snap up shares
Following the life insurer Prudential's remarkably strong results on Wednesday, non-executive director Kai Nargolwala showed his belief in the value of the shares at the present level.
Punch Taverns poised to open doors of first Harry Ramsden's pub
Punch Taverns will next week open the first in a series of pubs managed by Harry Ramsden's fish and chip restaurants.
ECB vice president makes vocal defence of Thursday's policy actions
Rate-setters in the Eurozone made a vocal and atypical defence of their policy decisions taken on the previous day, amid some observers’ scepticism regarding the effectiveness of the moves.
Week ahead: US Fed meeting, GOP primaries in focus
The coming week will be brimming with risk events, with the latest US central bank policy meeting, US political primaries, the Budget and the meeting of the Bank of England's rate-setters set to figure prominently.
China credit growth adds to long-term risks, but no imminent 'hard-landing'
Credit growth in Asia’s largest economy slowed dramatically in February, but some economists warned that seasonal factors were at play in the statistics, exaggerating the extent of the slowdown, although strong lending added to the long-term risks in China's economy.
UBS cuts Acacia to 'neutral' on share price strength
UBS downgraded Acacia Mining to ‘neutral’ from ‘buy’ with an unchanged price target of 275p, as it highlighted recent share price strength and uncertainty over the Bulyanhulu mine.
Deutsche Bank downgrades Restaurant Group on dilutive strategy
Deutsche Bank downgraded Restaurant Group to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’ and slashed the price target to 525p from 690p.
FTSE 250 movers: Marshalls surges on results; Acacia slumps on UBS downgrade
London’s FTSE 250 index was up 1. 3% to 16,604. 10 at 1420 GMT, tracking the broader rally in markets as investors reassessed the implications of the European Central Bank’s additional stimulus measures.
Apartments builder Watkin Jones aims to raise £100m with AIM float
Student accommodation builder Watkin Jones has announced its plans to raise at least £100m in an AIM flotation as it looks to expand into the private rented sector.
Tesco joins zero-food waste movement
Tesco announced a new commitment to zero food waste on Friday, joining a number of other grocers already supporting food poverty charity FareShare.
Harrods boss Michael Ward said to step down this summer
The boss of Harrods will reportedly step down this summer after a decade at the helm of the world-famous Knightsbridge department store.
US pre-open: Stocks set for positive open as oil rallies
Stocks on Wall Street looked set for solid gains at the open as oil prices rose and investors continued to digest the implications of the European Central’s Bank latest stimulus measures.
Deutsche Bank headcount, pay up despite deep loss
Deutsche Bank revealed an increase in staff pay and headcount in its annual results on Friday, even as it slumped to a multi-billion euro loss, though its bonuses were reined in significantly.