Market Pulse
Asia report: Markets lose out as oil weakens
Markets in Asia ended Wednesday mostly lower, following the lead of other markets slumping as oil prices lost out and the greenback gained.
Bernstein downgrades Morrisons on structural problems
Bernstein downgraded Morrisons to ‘underperform’ from ‘market perform’ and cut the price target to 160p from 170p, saying the valuation has run ahead of itself and structural problems remain.
US pre-open: Stocks seen lower ahead of key data releases
US futures pointed to a weaker open on Wall Street as investors looked to some key data releases later in the session, in particular the ADP employment report, which is widely considered a pre-cursor to the nonfarm payrolls.
International Personal Finance slides as Mexico growth falters
Growth in customer numbers and lending slowed at International Personal Finance in the first quarter due to a slower performance in the key growth market of Mexico.
Wonga full-year loss widens amid stricter regulation
Wonga reported a widening of full-year losses as the payday lender overhauls its business to comply with stricter regulation in the industry.
Intu trading in line with expectations ahead of AGM
Intu Properties was still on target to deliver growth of 2%-3% in like-for-like net rental income on Wednesday, as investors prepared for the FTSE 100 company’s annual general meeting.
Eurozone retail sales drop more than expected in March
Retail sales in the Eurozone fell more than expected in March, according to the latest figures from Eurostat.
Morrisons gains and Tesco loses as UK supermarket sales slow, Kantar says
Sales at all four of the big four UK supermarkets fell in recent weeks as grocery growth slowed markedly post-Easter, according to data from Kantar Worldpanel.
UK construction slows more than expected in April
The pace of UK construction slowed more than expected in April, data released on Wednesday showed.
Paddy Power Betfair stumbles on first quarter results
First-quarter sales and profits at Paddy Power Betfair got off to a solid gallop as the newly merged bookmaker enjoyed good performances across all divisions, though retail struggled slightly.
Wetherspoon sales rise in Q3, share buyback announced
JD Wetherspoon reported a rise in like-for-like sales in the third quarter and announced plans to buy back up to £60m of shares.
Wizz Air passenger numbers and load factor up in April
Wizz Air posted a rise in passenger numbers and load factor for April on Wednesday.
Glencore cuts mining production in first quarter, as expected
Glencore held its full year production guidance largely steady as copper, zinc, lead, oil and coal volumes all were cut in the first quarter as part of the commodities giant's plan to draw in its horns during this low point in the cycle.
Eurozone composite PMI in line in April
Markit’s final Eurozone composite output index came in at 53. 0 in April, in line with the flash estimate but a touch lower than March’s 53. 1.
Europe open: Stocks waver as investors sift through earnings deluge
European stocks wavered in early trade as investors sifted through an avalanche of corporate news.
London open: Stocks fall amid slate of company news
UK stocks slid on Wednesday as investors waded through a plethora of corporate announcements.
BHP Billiton's Samarco JV hit with $43bn compensation lawsuit
Federal prosecutors in Brazil have launched a $43bn lawsuit against BHP Billiton's part-owned Samarco Mineração mining unit to claim compensation for the dam disaster last November.
Mali carries Randgold to first quarter profit
Loulo-Gounkoto in Mali carried Randgold Resources to a profit in its first quarter to March, in a period where its Kibali and Tongon mines were impacted by commissioning and technical issues.
Ryanair passenger numbers surge 10% in April
Traffic at low-cost airline Ryanair rose 10% in April to a record 9. 9m customers from 9m in the same month last year, the company said on Wednesday.
Standard Life acquires AXA's Elevate
Standard Life added more than 160,000 new customers and £9. 8bn of assets under administration on Wednesday, announcing the acquisition of Elevate from AXA UK.