Market Pulse
US Fed rate hike probably appropriate in coming months, Yellen says
Another interest rate hike in the US will probably be appropriate in the coming months, US Federal reserve chief Janet Yellen said.
Travel&Leisure stocks pace gains, miners drop
Travel&Leisure stocks paced gains on the top flight index at the end of the week, against a backdrop of falling crude oil prices and a perceived reduction in the risk that Britons will vote to leave the European Union on 23 June.
BofA-Merrill Lynch upgrades Travel&Leisure stocks
Strategists at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch re-shuffled their sector stock allocations after the strong performance put in by Industrial Goods & Services and as the risks surrounding Travel&Leisure receded.
Europe close: Stocks end the week on a quiet note
European equity markets were little changed on Friday, struggling for direction as oil prices fell back and investors awaited a speech from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.
Lloyds eyes bid for Bank of America's UK credit-card business - report
Lloyds Banking Group is preparing to bid for Bank of America’s UK credit-card business, MBNA, in what may be its first acquisition since being rescued by taxpayers in 2009, according to a media report.
Week ahead: Manufacturing surveys, US jobs report in focus
Economic data over the coming holiday-shortened week will provide investors with further clues on the staying power of the US economic expansion and clues regarding the efficacy, or not, of the most recent monetary easing undertaken in China and in the euro area.
FTSE 250 movers: Phoenix Group firms on AXA Wealth deal
FTSE 250 was marginally firmer in late afternoon trade as UK traders wound down ahead of a long weekend, with few of today’s in-the-news mid-cap stocks figuring among that index’s top-10 risers.
Friday broker round-up
B&M European Value: Retail Jefferies reiterates buy with a 330p target and Citigroup keeps at buy with a target of 345p.
Evraz North America's stand alone credit profile cut to 'b-'
Evraz North America has had its stand-alone credit profile (SACP) cut to ‘b-‘ from ‘b’ by S&P Global Ratings.
FTSE 100 movers: Capita slumps on Exane downgrade; Carnival bounces back
London's FTSE 100 index was flat at 6,264. 09 in afternoon trading as market participants looked ahead to the long weekend.
Directors dealings: Activist investor Bramson tops up stake in Electra
Electra boss Edward Bramson picked up another large slice of shares in the listed private equity outfit on the same day of his appointment as interim chief executive officer of the firm.
Facebook, Microsoft pair-up to build Atlantic subsea cable
US tech giants Facebook and Microsoft are teaming up to build a high-specification undersea cable across the Atlantic to deliver speedy online and cloud services for their respective customers.
US consumer sentiment improves less than expected in May
Consumer sentiment in the US improved less than expected in May, according to the final reading from the University of Michigan.
US open: Stocks gain after US GDP beats forecasts
US stocks gained on Friday after a better-than-expected gross domestic product report.
Thermo Fisher to buy FEI in $4.2bn deal
Thermo Fisher Scientific has agreed to buy lab equipment company FEI for $107. 50 per share in cash, or around $4. 2bn.
President Energy swings to FY loss as output rises
Paraguay- and Argentina-focused President Energy upped its daily production rate by 15% to 490 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2015 in what it described as a challenging year due to macro and micro headwinds.
Friday newspaper share tips: Daily Mail and General Trust, Babcock International
Shares in Daily Mail and General Trust may turn out to be oddly cheap when the company’s media revenue curve turns upwards, argues the Financial Times’ Lex column.
Philips Lighting jumps in first day of trading
Royal Philips successfully floated a 25% stake its lighting business in what market commentary described as a further step towards focusing on manufacturing goods for the health-care market.
US Q1 GDP better than first estimated but still sluggish
US growth did not slow as sharply in the first quarter as initially estimated, according to data released by the Commerce Department.
Asia: Stocks jump across the region
Asian equities finished the session with almost across-the-board gains on Friday, ahead of a long-weekend in the UK and in the US.