Market Pulse
US pre-open: Stocks seen higher after BoJ as focus shifts to Fed announcement
US futures pointed to a firmer open on Wall Street after the Bank of Japan tweaked its monetary policy framework, as investors awaited the latest rate announcement from the Federal Reserve.
Asia report: Most markets higher as Bank of Japan stands pat
Markets in Asia finished higher on Wednesday, after the Bank of Japan stood pat on interest rates but revealed it was to change the framework on which it bases its monetary policy.
Macquarie downgrades RELX to 'underperform'
Anglo-Dutch publisher RELX Group, formerly known as Reed Elsevier, was under the cosh on Wednesday after Macquarie downgraded the stock to ‘underperform’.
MPC's Saunders sounds more optimistic note on economy after Brexit
The Monetary Policy Committee's newest member said he no longer saw a need for an immediate interest rate hike, given that the pound had not weakened as much as he had anticipated following the referendum vote.
Styles & Wood buys critical facilities company Keysource for £2m
Integrated property services company Styles & Wood has acquired Sussex-based critical facilities and data centre services provider Keysource for an initial consideration of about £2m.
Santander pulls out of Williams & Glyn branch deal with RBS
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has experienced a further setback in attempting to sell 315 high street branches as Santander pulled out of talks.
UK public finances improve but fall short of OBR target
UK public sector net borrowing fell in August, but is unlikely to meet government targets for debt reduction set in March's budget.
Stumpf told to resign as Wells Fargo boss over accounts scandal
Wells Fargo Chief Executive Officer John Stumpf faced a US Senate Banking Committee hearing on Tuesday in which senator Elizabeth Warren told him he should resign over his role in the bank's fake accounts scandal.
Bonmarche warns on profits as weather dampens sales, clouds outlook
Befuddled by the inconsistent weather so far this year, over-50s clothing retailer Bonmarché cut its full year profit guidance after like-for-like sales continued to suffer in the second quarter.
Deutsche Bank initiates coverage of FirstGroup, Go-Ahead, National Express
Deutsche Bank initiated coverage of FirstGroup, Go-Ahead and National Express as it took a look at the European Bus & Rail sector.
Genedrive appoints Matthew Fowler CFO
AIM-listed molecular diagnostic company Genedrive appointed Matthew Fowler as chief financial officer and a member of the board.
Microsoft set for $40bn stock buyback as dividend rises
Cash-rich Microsoft raised its quarterly dividend by 8% on Tuesday, and announced plans to buy back as much as $40bn of its own shares.
PowerHouse posts interim results as it moves to commercialisation
Ultra high gasification waste to energy systems company PowerHouse announced its unaudited interim results for the six months to 30 June on Wednesday as it continued its development programme.
Strategic Equity Capital shares up as it weathers volatile year
Strategic Equity Capital posted its full-year results for the year to 30 June on Wednesday, with net asset value per ordinary share dropping 9% year-on-year to 198. 06p.
Saga confidently hikes dividend as travel business remains robust
Although first-half sales declined and the dividend was short of expectations, Saga beat analyst's profits forecasts and was confident the business is on track to meet its full year targets.
Europe open: Stocks push higher after BoJ; Fed in focus
European stocks pushed higher in early trade after the Bank of Japan stood pat on rates but tweaked its policy framework, as investors looked ahead to a policy announcement from the Federal Reserve.
London open: Stocks edge higher after BoJ, ahead of Fed
Stocks in London edged higher in early trade after the Bank of Japan stood pat on rates but tweaked its policy framework, as investors looked ahead to a policy announcement from the Federal Reserve.
Diageo confident of 'stronger' 2017 financial year
Smirnoff, Guinness and Baileys producer Diageo is set to deliver a “stronger” performance for the 2017 after a good start to the financial year as it beefs up marketing, innovation and commercialisation of products.
Majestic Wine tumbles on profit warning
Majestic Wine shares tumbled on Wednesday after the company said it expects 2017 profits to be below current market expectations due to lower-than-expected sales in its commercial business and investment in the US division of Naked Wines.
Newspaper round-up: BoJ, RBS, BHP Billiton, Hinkley contract bonanza
The Bank of Japan has launched an unprecedented new kind of monetary easing as it set a cap on 10-year bond yields and vowed to overshoot its 2 per cent inflation target on purpose. Its decision demonstrates that even eight years after the global financial crisis, central bankers are still willing to experiment with new monetary policy tools, as they struggle to escape from low inflation around the world. - Financial Times.