Market Pulse
Home Retail slumps as Steinhoff backs out, Sainsbury's ups bid
Shares in Argos owner Home Retail Group tumbled in afternoon trade after Steinhoff International Holdings abandoned the chase in favour of a bid for Darty, clearing the path for Sainsbury’s, which later upped its bid.
Sector movers: Sentiment cools towards homebuilders
Homebuilders were under the cosh at the end of the week, dragged lower by a negative reaction to the latest trading statement out of Berkeley Group.
Europe close: Week of information ends with stocks higher
European stocks nudged higher on Friday, struggling for direction following recent gains at the end of a week full of decisions, announcements and data releases.
London close: Stocks close lower as oil prices waver
The FTSE closed slightly lower on Friday as the rally in oil prices snapped and a key survey showed an unexpected fall in US consumer confidence.
Fastjet director resigns amid row with easyGroup
Fastjet's public spat with easyGroup led to the resignation of a board member late on Friday afternoon.
FTSE 250 movers: Pubcos up on recommendations
The FTSE 250 was trending up in afternoon trading on Friday, as investors ended the week seemingly pleased with the raft of events and data it presented.
FTSE 100 movers: Sports Direct rallies ahead of demotion; Berkeley slumps
London’s FTSE 100 index was up 0. 1% to 6,207. 94 as investors paused to take stock of a week jam-packed full of events, including the Budget and the Bank of England rate announcement.
Michigan consumer sentiment unexpectedly drops in March
The University of Michigan's preliminary consumer sentiment index unexpectedly fell in March, to a reading of 90. 0 from 91. 7 in February and versus expectations of 92. 2.
Nomura downgrades StanChart, HSBC, Barclays
China's economy was set to slow more sharply than most analysts were expecting, leading to a further devaluation of the country's currency, the yuan, which in turn would weigh on the broader emerging market currency space and business for the likes of HSBC and StanChart, Nomura said.
Starwood agrees to "superior" Anbang deal; bidding war may be on cards
Starwood Hotels & Resorts announced plans to end its deal with Marriott Hotels in favour of what it deemed to be a better offer from a consortium led by China’s Anbang Insurance Group.
Sports Direct surges ahead of demotion from FTSE 100
Shares in Sports Direct International surged on Friday, with traders attributing the push higher to short-covering ahead of the stock’s demotion to the FTSE 250 next week.
Domino's to trial pizza delivery robot
Takeaway delivery drivers could be the latest profession to be made obsolete by robots, if Domino's Pizza has its way.
Europe midday: Stocks nudge higher as oil pops up again
European stocks nudged higher on Friday, struggling for direction following recent gains at the end of a week jam-packed with policy decisions.
Hinkley Point 'poison pill' criticised as France underpins EDF
The first nuclear power plant to be built in Britain for 20 years was desribed as a "terrible deal" on Friday, just a day after the French government promised a bailout to allow the project to proceed.
London midday: Equities advance as miners and banking shares rally
UK equities advanced on Friday with banking and mining stocks leading the way as investors reassessed a jam-packed week of events.
Good Energy customer numbers surge but profit slips
AIM-listed Good Energy posted a 44% rise in customer numbers in 2015 as more people opted to sign up with smaller energy firms.
Russian central bank keeps rates unchanged despite oil price rebound
Russian rate-setters stuck to their guns, keeping interest rates on hold and cautioning they might stay at current levels for longer despite a rebound in global oil prices and a rally in the ruble.
Asia report: Strong yen holds Japan markets back
Markets in Asia traded mostly higher on Friday, taking their lead from the US as oil prices hit their highest levels for a year. Japan was the odd one out, however, as a strong yen dragged on the markets.
US pre-open: Stocks set for slightly higher open as oil rises
Stocks on Wall Street looked set for a slightly stronger open on Friday as oil prices pushed higher.
UK small business outlook falls to over three-year low in Q1, FSB says
Small businesses in the United Kingdom were in a dour mood in the first quarter, amid weak exports, a slump in the oil price, public sector austerity and uncertainty surrounding the impact which the 23 June referendum on continued membership of the European Union, the results of a survey showed.