Market Pulse
Directors dealings: Laird´s new boss and finance chief buy shares
Laird´s new boss and finance chief took advantage of the recent crash in the share price to pick-up stock in the firm they lead.
FX round-up: Sterling enjoys Friday cheer, but no sign of Brexit volatility easing
Sterling turned in a somewhat chipper performance on most of its main crosses on Friday, closing out a week of volatility thanks to chronic Brexit jitters that show no sign of abating.
Europe close: Stocks flat as euro continues to drift lower
European stocks finished the week on a flat note despite an unusual flurry of news on the mergers and acquisitions front, with the euro still under pressure against the dollar following European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi’s comments on Thursday.
Honeywell Q3 earnings beat estimates
Honeywell International reported better-than-expected earnings as sales rose in the third quarter.
AT&T considering Time Warner acquisition - report
US telecommunications giant AT&T has entered talks to take over Time Warner, according to Bloomberg.
Commodities: Crude lower, clings to gains above $50 a barrel
Crude futures were heading lower on Friday afternoon but both West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent managed to cling to prices above the $50 a barrel mark.
Tesla sets $8,000 price tag for Autopilot, indicates ride-hailing intentions
Innovative US car-maker Tesla Motors has set a price of $8,000 for drivers who want to add self-driving technology to their vehicles.
FTSE 100 movers: BAT leads tobacco shares higher; Intercontinental Hotels drops
The FTSE 100 Index fell 0. 05% to 7,023. 83 in the late afternoon.
FTSE 250 movers: Acacia gains on Q3 numbers; Aggreko keeps sliding
London’s FTSE 250 was down 0. 1% to 17,930. 64 in afternoon trade.
US open: Stocks decline after mixed company earnings
US stocks were down due to mixed company earnings from McDonald’s, General Electric, and Honeywell International, while investors looked ahead to speeches by the Federal Reserve's Daniel Tarullo and John Williams.
WPP invests in New York-based ScrollMotion
Media group WPP has made an investment in US software company ScrollMotion Inc.
GKN agrees sale of Stromag for €198m
Engineering group GKN has agreed the sale of its Stromag business to Altra Industrial Motion for an enterprise value of €198m (£177m).
Burberry shares gain on report of Coach merger
Burberry gained ground on Friday afternoon after the Betaville financial blog suggested US-based Coach was considering a merger with the London-listed luxury retailer.
Eurozone consumer confidence edges higher in October
Consumer confidence in the single currency area improved slightly in October, according to the European Commission.
Abzena notes progress with Composite Human Antibody tech
Life sciences group Abzena noted on Friday that Gilead Sciences has announced top line Phase II clinical study results of its product, GS-4997 (selonsertib) in combination with the investigational monoclonal antibody, simtuzumab (SIM) or SIM alone, in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
Avarae Global Coins announces results of tender offer
Avarae Global Coins announced the result of its tender offer on Friday, as set out in the shareholder circular published on 19 September.
Premier African Minerals reports significant titanium grades at Zulu
Mining exploration and production company Premier African Minerals reported on Friday that significant tantalum grades have been recorded from the current 2,500 meter drilling programme at the company's Zulu Lithium and Tantalum Project in Zimbabwe.
Malvern International raises new funds, adds to board
Educational services provider Malvern International announced the appointments of Sam Malafeh as an executive director and of Navin Khattar and Wee Hock Kee as non-executive directors on Friday, with immediate effect.
Rare Earth Minerals investment locates lithium
Rare Earth Minerals reported on Friday that one of its investments, Macarthur Minerals, has located lithium in Nevada in the basin adjacent to Clayton Valley with surface grades up to 145. 5 ppm lithium.
McDonald's shares up in pre-market after earnings beat
McDonald's Corporation published its third quarter results before the opening bell on Friday, beating estimates despite falling short of its profit from the same period last year.