Market Pulse
US close: Wall Street rout continues as interest rate hikes weigh on sentiment
US stocks closed sharply lower on Thursday, following on from losses seen in the previous session on the back of a less dovish than expected rate announcement by the Federal Reserve.
London close: Stocks down but off lows as BoE stands pat, Fed disappoints
London stocks ended in the red on Thursday as the Bank of England stood pat on rates amid growing Brexit uncertainty and as the Fed’s latest policy announcement turned out to be less dovish than expected.
Europe close: Stocks slump as Federal Reserve disappoints
European stocks closed in the red on Thursday, dragged down to their worst level in two years as the Federal Reserve’s latest policy announcement left investors disappointed.
Director dealings: Travis Perkins CFO lowers stake
Travis Perkins' chief financial officer Alan Williams disposed of 7,214 ordinary shares in the FTSE 250 builders' merchant on Thursday.
Carnival income rises but Q1 outlook less cheery
Cruise ship operator Carnival posted a rise in fourth-quarter income on Thursday as it hailed record full-year earnings.
US open: Stocks open lower following Fed rate announcement
US stocks opened lower on Thursday, following on from the sharp drops seen in the previous session on the back of a less dovish than expected rate announcement by the Federal Reserve.
888 Holdings gets Swedish gambling licence
Online gaming operator and platform provider 888 Holdings has been awarded a licence by the Swedish Gambling Authority to provide online casino, sport and poker services in Sweden.
AstraZeneca receives EU approval for Bevespi Aerosphere inhaler
FTSE 100 pharma giant AstraZeneca said its chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment Bevespi Aerosphere was approved for use in the EU.
China confirms more trade talks with US in January
China and the US will hold more trade talks in January, China’s Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng confirmed on Thursday.
Edenville Energy installs water purifier at Rukwa
Tanzania coal project developer Edenville Energy said on Thursday that, further to the announcement it made on 17 December, the Lamella clarifier water treatment plant that had been installed at its Rukwa Coal Project was now fully operational.
Chamberlin sells Exidor to ASSA ABLOY in £10m deal
Chamberlin has completed the sale of Exidor to ASSA ABLOY for a total enterprise value of £10m, it announced on Thursday, with the consideration to be paid in cash.
Globalworth snaps up two 'high quality' office buildings in Poland
AIM-listed real estate outfit Globalworth has acquired two "high quality" office building in the Polish capital of Warsaw for a total of €190m, before working capital and other customary adjustments.
N4 Pharma extends 'Nuvec' licence agreement with Aussie university firm
Specialist pharmaceutical company N4 Pharma has extended the terms of its licence agreement with UniQuest - a University of Queensland company - for the exploitation of its novel delivery system ‘Nuvec’ on Thursday.
Scisys locks in follow-on contract for defence sector project
IT-based solutions and support services firm Scisys has secured a £2. 4m follow-on contract in the defence sector.
No suitors for NetScientific as it suggests delisting
Healthcare intellectual property commercialisation group NetScientific updated the market on its strategic review on Thursday, which it announced in late November.
President Energy seeing good progress in Rio Negro
Upstream oil and gas company President Energy updated the market on its New Puesto Prado and Las Bases concessions in Argentina’s Rio Negro province on Thursday, where it was the operator with a 90% holding to partner EDHIPSA’s 10%.
Blue Star extends heads of terms with SatoshiPay again
Technology-focussed investing company Blue Star updated the market on the heads of terms it had agreed with SatoshiPay on Thursday, having previously extended them in October.
FTSE 100 movers: Investors switch on to utilities as they turn off oil stocks
Defensive stocks were in play on the FTSE 100 helping to limit early morning losses sparked by the US sell-off overnight after the Fed raised rates.
W Resources feeds first ore into new crusher
Spain and Portugal-focussed tungsten, copper and gold mining company W Resources has successfully fed the first mined ore into its newly-completed crusher, it announced on Thursday.
Metal Tiger upbeat on drill results from Tshukudu
Strategic natural resource investor Metal Tiger updated the market on exploration activities at its joint venture, Tshukudu Exploration, in the Kalahari Copper Belt in Botswana on Thursday, reporting that the first phase of drilling at the 5km-long A4 dome had completed, with 18 of 20 holes intersecting copper mineralisation.