Market Pulse
FX round-up: Doves, hawks and black swans; the avian life of pre-Brexit sterling
Sterling buzzed in higher on most major crosses today as an unfamiliar calm took root amid a two-day suspension of Brexit campaigning after the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox on Thursday.
Engineers, oil equipment lead gains
Somewhat reduced angst around the outcome of the upcoming 23 June referendum saw shares of industrial engineers and banks bounce back, alongside a sharp bounce in oil equipment stocks as crude oil futures recovered.
Brexit could threaten M&A in Europe, says Intralinks
Brexit could threaten the number of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) which occur across Europe, according to a survey by Intralinks Holdings on Friday.
Europe close: Stocks bounce back, led by banks
European stocks rose on Friday, underpinned by strong bank shares and firmer oil prices as worries about Brexit receded, at least for now.
Directors dealings: BAE Systems finance chief forced to sell shares
BAE Systems's finance chief was forced to liquidate a substantial part of his holdings in the company he helps run, pursuant to a divorce settlement.
London close: Stocks close higher as Brexit worries subside
The FTSE 100 ended higher on Friday as campaigning on the European Union referendum was suspended until Saturday following the death of a British MP.
Mars asks McDonald's to stop using M&Ms
The world’s biggest candy company is so concerned about sugar, it’s asking the world’s biggest hamburger chain to consider going a bit easier on the desserts.
Friday newspaper share tips: Facebook, LinkedIn and Wincanton
LinkedIn's sheer number of users -- more than the US has citizens -- didn't prevent it from getting bought out by Microsoft, writes the Financial Times' Lex column.
Week ahead: All eyes on referendum outcome
Thursday, 23 June, and the result of the UK’s referendum on whether or not to continue within the European Union is all that will matter this week for financial markets.
Siemens and Gamesa merge wind turbine units, create new leader
Siemens and Gamesa agreed to combine their wind-turbine manufacturing operations, creating a new world leader in terms of installed capacity worldwide.
US open: Stocks fall amid Brexit worries
US stocks fell on Friday, reversing the previous day’s gains, as investors showed risk-aversion ahead of Britain’s European Union referendum next week.
SocGen starts Ocado at 'sell', notes threat of AmazonFresh
Societe Generale initiated coverage of Ocado at ‘sell’ with a 193p price target, saying the stock was not attractively valued at current levels.
RBC upgrades Imperial Brands on attractive dividend yield
RBC Capital Markets upgraded Imperial Brands to ‘sector perform’ from ‘underperform’ and lifted the price target to 3,700p from 2,900p.
Workspace confirms talks regarding Hammersmith acquisition
Workspace confirmed on Friday that it has been in discussions regarding the potential acquisition of an office campus in Hammersmith for around £120m.
Defensive assets lose shine as Brexit calm prevails
Defensive-assets gold, government bonds, the yen and Swiss franc gave up some of their recent bull gains as a blanket of calm settled over the always polarising and at times acrimonious Brexit debate.
BASF to buy Albermarle coatings unit for USD3.2bn
German chemical producer BASF has agreed to buy US specialty chemicals company Albermarle’s surface treatment division, Chemetall, for $3. 2bn.
UK equity funds suffer second-largest outflows on record, says BofA ML
Figures from Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s weekly ‘flow show’ report showed outflows from UK equity funds were the second-largest on record as Brexit woes took their toll.
US housing starts drop 0.3% in May
US housing starts fell a little less than expected in May, according to data released by the Commerce Department.
FTSE 250 movers: Stocks up as pre-referendum volatility continues
The FTSE 250 was well into green territory in afternoon trading on Friday, in what analysts were calling another instance of volatility ahead of next week's EU referendum.