Market Pulse
US close: Stocks give up 3 days of gains as bond yields, oil fall
US shares closed slightly lower on Thursday as the S&P 500 gave up three days of gains as bond yields and oil prices fell.
Directors dealings: M&S chairman adds to holdings
M&S's chairman topped up his holdings just over a fortnight after the company's full-year results sent shares in the ubiquitous fashion retailer tumbling.
FX round-up: Sterling nosedives against NZ dollar amid Draghi pall
Sterling was mixed against most major crosses this evening and had plunged against the New Zealand dollar as startled traders reacted to that country's central bank holding its key interest rate steady.
Brexit could mean benefit cuts for poor families, NIESR says
Low income families may stand to lose hundreds of pounds in benefit payments, if not far more, should Britain decide to leave the European Union, one of the UK's leading think-tanks said.
Europe close: Markets sharply lower as sentiment turns negative
Stocks in Europe closed down sharply on Thursday, with lower oil prices and commodity stocks stoking negative sentiment, and concerns about the health of the global economy growing.
Eurozone governments must act now on structural reforms, ECB's Draghi says
The euro area cannot afford to wait any longer on carrying out critical structural reforms, the head of the single currency area's central bank said.
Small caps news round-up
Investing company Velox3 announced on Thursday its conditional acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Sheltyco Enterprises Group for £10. 9m, to be satisfied by the issue of 43,753,775 new consolidated ordinary shares. The AIM-traded firm said Sheltyco is a holding company for several subsidiary companies focused on the marketing and promotion of third party online gaming, lottery adn bnary option operators, such as Betsafe, Lottopalace and Option888.
Friday preview: Fuller Smith & Turner reports full year results
Pub operator Fuller Smith & Turner is expected to report on Friday an 8. 5% increase in full year pre-tax profits on the back of a rise in like-for-like sales.
US unemployment claims dip in latest week
The number of people filing for unemployment in the States dipped last week.
Brexit jitters see UK 10-year gilt yields plumb record lows
Brexit jitters and investors buying assets for their safe-haven appeal has seen UK 10-year gilt yields plumb record lows.
NZ dollar roars ahead against sterling after RBNZ surprise
The New Zealand dollar lived up to its reputation as a mouse that can roar as it stormed ahead on sterling after Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) surprisingly held its key interest rate at 2. 25% overnight.
German trade surplus beats forecasts in April
Germany’s trade surplus decreased slightly in April when compared to the prior month, with both its sales abroad and imports falling, but nonetheless beat economists' forecasts.
Flybe returns to FY profit, issues cautious outlook
Shares in Flybe fell almost 5% as the regional airline returned to full-year profit on improved revenue, despite the impact on bookings due to terror attacks in France and Belgium, but issued a cautious outlook.
US pre-open: Stock futures fall as oil prices snap rally
US stock futures fell on Thursday as oil prices ended its recent rally and investors showed caution ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting.
Europe midday: Oil losses push markets down
European stocks were on track for another day of losses in morning trading on Thursday, with a downturn in oil prices dragging on energy shares.
Asia report: Weaker dollar pushes markets lower
Markets in Asia finished lower on Thursday, with a weaker dollar dragging on Japanese shares and stocks in South Korea failing to ignite after a surprise interest rate cut.
London midday: Miners lead stocks lower as oil and metal prices fall
London stocks edged lower on Thursday, led by slide in miners as metal and oil prices reversed the previous day’s gains.
Europe open: Markets start lower amid global growth concerns
European stocks followed the lead of their Asian counterparts at the open on Thursday, with concerns about the world’s economic health hitting investor sentiment.
Antofagasta downgraded to 'hold' from 'buy' by Canaccord
Antofagasta shares dropped on Thursday as Canaccord Genuity downgraded the stock to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’ and lowered its target price to 475p from 550p.
Numis reiterates 'add' on RPC after deal to buy British Polythene Industries
RPC Group’s ‘add’ rating and target price of 900p were reiterated by Numis after the plastics firm said it had agreed a £261m deal to buy British Polythene Industries (BPI).