Market Pulse
Pearson slumps on US peer John Wiley's results; Liberum reiterates 'sell' rating
Shares in education publisher Pearson slumped on Thursday after US peer John Wiley & Sons slid nearly 7% in the previous session following the release of disappointing first-quarter results.
Apple abandons headphone jack in new water-resistant iPhone 7
US tech giant Apple has launched the latest version of its smartphone range, as the iPhone 7 made its debut at an event in California on Wednesday.
Fenner sees FY at top end of market expectations
Industrial polymer-based manufacturer Fenner said on Thursday that its full-year results are likely to be at the top end of the current range of market expectations and in line with guidance given at the annual general meeting in January.
Mattioli Woods buys MC Trustees for £2.2m
Wealth management and employee benefit provider Mattioli Woods bought MC Trustees, which includes Old Station Road Holdings and its subsidiaries, for up to £2. 2m.
HSBC upgrades RSA, downgrades Hastings
HSBC upgraded RSA Insurance to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ and raised the price target to 595p from 520p despite the strong share price performance.
Asia report: Markets mixed as investors weigh Beige Book
Asian markets ended mixed on Thursday, with investors weighing the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book and what it means for interest rates in the United States.
Goldman Sachs bumps Experian up to 'buy'
Goldman Sachs upgraded Experian to ‘buy’ from ‘neutral’ and lifted the price target to 1,845p from 1,452p saying it now sees around 20% upside to the stock.
Fyffes buys second Canadian mushrooms producer
Fyffes' has returned to Canada for second helpings of mushroom, acquiring Canada's second largest fungi farmer, All Season Mushrooms, for CAD$59. 1m (€41m) after buying the country's number-one producer earlier in the year.
Strat Aero wins Thames flood defence deal with Environment Agency
Strat Aero, the drone aircraft services specialist, has won a £2. 5m contract extension with the Environment Agency to aerially monitor the tidal flood defences of the Thames Estuary via its unmanned aerial vehicles.
Babcock wins five-year support contract with Qantas
Babcock International has been awarded a five-year contract to support Qantas’ ground support equipment (GSE) fleet at 60 locations across Australia.
China trade surplus narrows in August, data reveals
China’s trade surplus narrowed in August as imports unexpectedly rose and exports fell at a lesser rate than the previous month, the General Administration of Customs revealed on Thursday.
Tower Resources raises £1m in placing
Africa-focused oil and gas exploration company Tower Resources announced on Thursday that it has successfully placed 45,919,084 new ordinary shares, and raised gross proceeds totaling £1. 03m at a placing price of 2. 25p per share.
Europe open: Stocks nudge up as investors eye ECB announcement
European stocks nudged a touch higher in early trade as investors looked to the European Central Bank’s rate announcement, amid expectations monetary policy will be held steady.
Genus FY profit nudges up but revenue slips on lower bovine volumes
FTSE 250 animal genetics company Genus posted an increase in pre-tax profit for the year to the end of June despite a small drop in revenue.
London open: Stocks edge higher after decent China data
London stocks edged higher in early trade following the release of some encouraging Chinese trade figures, as oil prices gained ground.
National Grid and US regulator plan three-year utility price hike
Multinational electricity and gas utility National Grid has submitted a revised three-year price and investment plan to the New York US public utilities regulator for its KeySpan gas distribution arms in New York (KEDNY) and Long Island (KEDLI).
Dixons Carphone sees modest growth in first quarter
Electronics retailer Dixons Carphone posted a trading update for the first quarter on Thursday, with group revenue up 9% year-on-year and like-for-like revenue improving 4% in the 13 weeks to 30 July.
Zoopla earnings to hit 'top end' of forecasts
Zoopla Property Group said full year operating profits will be at the top end of current market expectations thanks to solid property trading and outperformance from its price comparison website in the third quarter.
London pre-open: Stocks seen touch lower ahead of ECB
London stocks were expected to open a little lower on Thursday as investors looked to the European Central Bank rate announcement.
Thursday newspaper round-up: Sports Direct, Coutts, HSBC
US billionaire John Malone’s Liberty Media has agreed to take control of Formula One in a deal valuing the sport at $8bn. The two-part manoeuvre will initially see the US media group buy 18. 7 per cent of F1 parent company Delta Topco for $746m in cash from a consortium of shareholders led by CVC Capital Partners. - Financial Times.