Market Pulse
FTSE 100 movers: Pharmas under the cosh; CRH builds gains on results
London’s FTSE 100 was down 0. 3% to 6,814. 38 in afternoon trade.
JPMorgan downgrades Carillion after H1 results
JPMorgan Cazenove downgraded Carillion to ‘underweight’ from ‘neutral’ but lifted the price target to 250p from 225p following the group’s first-half results.
US jobless claims unexpectedly decline
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, according to the Labour Department.
US warns Europe over Apple tax probe
The US has warned the European Commission about demanding billions of dollars over tax avoidance allegations against Apple and other American multinationals.
Guess shares jump despite flat second quarter sales
Guess? delivered improved second quarter earnings despite flat sales and boosted its EPS guidance for the following quarter, as the company continued to restructure its operations.
South32 reports wider loss but pays maiden dividend
Australian base metal and coal miner South32, in its first full financial year since being spun from BHP Billiton, reported a large net loss due to impairments and low commodity prices but paid a maiden dividend.
Mylan to cut EpiPen costs following Clinton comments
Mylan said it was taking "immediate action" to further enhance access to its EpiPen injectors after the generic and specialty pharmaceuticals firm was slammed on Wednesday by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who urged the group to drop the price of the treatment.
Tiffany & Co' s second-quarter profit beats views, but revenue misses
Tiffany & Co. rallied in pre-market trade after the luxury jeweller’s second-quarter profit came in ahead of expectations.
Retail sales improve in August, CBI survey says
Retail sales unexpectedly improved in August, according to the CBI's distributive trades survey, which also found companies were more confident about the outlook compared to last month.
Europe midday: Stocks drop on German data, ahead of Yellen speech
European stocks pushed lower as traders took some money off the table ahead of an eagerly-awaited speech by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and following disappointing German data.
London midday: Clinton remarks send pharmaceutical shares, equities lower
UK equities were dragged lower by pharmaceutical shares on Thursday following remarks from US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on cutting prices of medication.
Sopheon swings to profit in first half
Sopheon swung to a profit in the first half of the year as revenue grew and the company said revenue visibility for the year has improved.
Henry Boot interim profit up, no impact from Brexit
Construction and property group Henry Boot reported a rise in first-half profit on the back of earlier-than-expected land sales and progress on its commercial property developments, and said it has not seen any impact from Brexit.
US pre-open: Stocks to nudge lower as focus shifts to Yellen
US futures pointed to a marginally weaker open on Wall Street, with investors likely to exercise caution as they look for clues on the timing of an interest rate hike from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, who is due to give a speech at Jackson Hole on Friday.
CRH doubles earnings as green shoots seen in Europe
Building materials group CRH winched its half-year dividend a touch higher as it reported the early stages of an economic recovery in Europe.
UK gross mortgage lending falls in Brexit aftermath, CML data shows
Gross mortgage lending in the UK fell in July as house purchase activity slowed in the aftermath of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, data showed on Thursday.
German Ifo business confidence unexpectedly deteriorates
German business confidence unexpectedly deteriorated in August, according to a widely-followed survey.
Aldermore, Shawbrook boosted by BofA ML upgrade
Challenger banks Aldermore and Shawbrook got a boost on Thursday as Bank of America Merrill Lynch lifted its recommendations on the stocks to ‘buy’ from ‘neutral’.
Shire, AstraZeneca and Hikma hit by Hillary Clinton's pharma-bashing
Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Shire and AstraZeneca were among FTSE-listed drug companies slipping lower on Thursday morning, following comments from US presidential favourite Hillary Clinton on pharmaceutical pricing that hit peers across the Atlantic overnight.
Jimmy Choo first half boosted by Asia, men's offering
Luxury shoe retailer Jimmy Choo reported a jump in revenue and operating profit for the first six months of the year thanks to strong growth in Asia and a good performance from the men’s category.