Market Pulse
Peel Hunt sees opportunities and risks in UK commercial property
In 2016, and for the first time in four years, UK commercial property shares had not outperformed the All-Share.
Vesuvius slumps on Jefferies downgrade
Molten metal flow engineering company Vesuvius was under the cosh on Tuesday after Jefferies downgraded the stock to ‘underperform’ from ‘hold’ and cut the price target to 255p from 300p.
HSBC downgrades Ashtead on equipment age calculation quirk
HSBC has downgraded Ashtead to 'hold' from 'buy' after a reappraisal of the equipment hire group's growth prospects.
US import prices rise less than expected in March
US import prices edged higher in March, but by far less than economists had expected as the prices of non-fuel imports retreated.
US NFIB survey for March augurs well for company investment
Optimism among small US businesses failed to improve as expected in March, but some of the details of the report were well-received by analysts.
Lonmin CFO Simon Scott to step down
Platinum producer Lonmin has announced that Simon Scott will step down as chief financial officer, most likely after the company’s interim results in May.
FCA bans former RBS trader from working in financial services
The Financial Conduct Authority has banned former Royal Bank of Scotland trader Paul White from working in financial services following his involvement in the Libor scandal.
London open: Stocks fall ahead of UK inflation figures
London stocks declined on Tuesday as traders awaited UK inflation figures and the International Monetary Fund’s latest economic forecasts.
Ryanair promises even lower airfares as it launches new initiatives
Low-cost airline Ryanair promised even lower airfares on Tuesday as it announced a range of initiatives to improve the customer experience as part of its ‘Always Getting Better’ programme.
Broker tips: Aviva, Diageo, Astrazeneca
Recent underperformance led analysts at Credit Suisse to remove Aviva from their Europe Focus List, but they expected the stock's price to close the gap versus its peers over the next few years.
BT facing TV critisicm ahead of looming Champions League rights auction
BT Group may not be allowed to retain exclusive UK rights to broadcast Champions League football after the current three-season deal, giving confidence to ITV and Sky when they return to the bidding table later this year.
Europe midday: Stocks turn higher as oil prices advance
European stocks reversed earlier losses to trade a little firmer on Tuesday as oil prices turned higher, although losses for luxury goods stocks kept a cap on gains.
Fitch downgrades Saudi Arabia's sovereign bond rating
One of the world's three main ratings agencies downgraded Saudi Arabia's long-term sovereign debt as its analysts marked down their projections for the price of crude oil in 2016 and 2017, although the agency pointed out that the Kingdom's level of debt-to-gross domestic product continued to be much lower than that of its peers.
Falkland Island Holdings tumbles after profit warning and strategy shift
Shares in Falkland Islands Holdings sank to their lowest in more than a decade after it set out plans to increase its UK focus due to the effect of low oil prices on its eponymous business, and warned annual profits would be at least 10% lower than the previous year due to investment in its fine art arm.
Credit Suisse eliminates Aviva from Europe Focus List
Recent underperformance led analysts at Credit Suisse to remove Aviva from their Europe Focus List, but they expected the stock's price to close the gap versus its peers over the next few years.
Brexit could end right to holiday pay for millions, says TUC
Around 7 million UK workers could lose their “hard-won” right to holiday pay if Britain votes to leave the European Union, according to new analysis from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) .
US pre-open: Stocks seen slightly higher as investors brace for earnings
US futures pointed to a slightly firmer open on Wall Street amid rising oil prices, as investors got their first chance to react to a mixed set of earnings from Alcoa ahead of more corporate results.
Netflix hiking prices as it 'ungrandfathers' users
Long-time Netflix customers will soon see a rise in their monthly streaming bill, after the US-based digital media firm confirmed a price hike of £1. 50 for users currently ‘grandfathered’ into old pricing.
HSBC ups UK and EM stocks, downgrades Switzerland and Japan
HSBC made some significant changes to its country recommendations in its latest global equity strategy report, saying fundamentals have deteriorated.
Italy agrees to set up bank rescue fund
Italy’s financial industry has approved a plan to create a €5bn (£4bn) rescue fund for struggling banks.