Market Pulse
Amryt Pharma given go-ahead to continue Phase III EASE trial
Revenue-generating orphan drug company Amryt Pharma announced the results of an unblinded interim efficacy analysis on its pivotal Phase III EASE trial for AP101 as a potential treatment for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) on Friday.
Circassia Pharmaceuticals outlines plans for a busy 2019
Specialty pharmaceutical company Circassia Pharmaceuticals updated the market on its current trading on Friday, reporting that it ended the year with cash, cash equivalents and short-term deposits of approximately £41m.
Nanoco and Plessey team up on project to shrink microLED pixels
Nanoco Technologies, along with Plessey Semiconductors, announced a partnership to shrink the pixel size of monolithic microLED displays using Nanoco's cadmium free quantum dot (CFQD) semiconductor nanoparticle technology on Friday.
LightwaveRF revenue jumps after record Black Friday week
Smart home solutions provider LightwaveRF posted a jump in first-quarter revenue on Friday as it hailed a record e-commerce performance during Black Friday week.
Former Quixant CFO stands down from group altogether
Slot machines manufacturer Quixant's former chief financial officer Cresten Preddy stood down from the group altogether on New Years Eve.
Asia report: Most markets manage gains as sentiment improves
Most markets in Asia were higher on Friday, with the exceptions of those in Tokyo and Sydney, as fresh developments in the ongoing trade spat between Beijing and Washington helped to calm nerves, which were stoked by a profit warning from Apple earlier in the week.
Barclays upgrades Whitbread as risks skewed to upside
Barclays has upgraded its stance on Whitbread to ‘overweight’ from ‘equalweight’ and bumped up the price target to 5,200p from 5,000p after the Premier Inn owner completed the sale of its Costa coffee chain to Coca-Cola a day earlier.
China central bank urges further domestic lending
China's central bank loosened requirements for lenders, it said in an unscheduled announcement on Friday.
7digital subsidiary gets winding up petition from HMRC
Shares in 7digital tumbled on Friday as it emerged that its subsidiary, 7digital Trading, has been served a winding up petition by HMRC.
London midday: Miners pace the gains ahead of US payrolls
London stocks extended gains by midday on Friday, with miners pacing the advance on the back of renewed optimism about Sino-US trade relations, encouraging Chinese services data and China’s latest stimulus measures, ahead of the release of the US non-farm payrolls report.
US pre-open: Stocks seen up ahead of payrolls amid signs of improving Sino-US relations
US stocks looked set for a positive open on Friday, with investors likely to welcome signs of progress in Sino-US relations and China’s latest economic stimulus measures, ahead of the release of the latest non-farm payrolls report.
Europe economic data points to disappointing year end
Eurozone economic activity softened more than expected last month, according to surveys from IHS Markit, including disappointing services data on Friday.
New US and China trade talks to start on Monday
A fresh batch of trade talks between the US and China is set to start on Monday to see where the tensions stand after agreeing to a 90-day truce in early December of 2018.
Glenveagh Properties revenues grow in 'very productive' year
Irish homebuilder Glenveagh Properties revealed details of its "very productive" trading year on Friday, saying it was ahead of schedule in its efforts to deliver on promises made at the time of its IPO.
Berenberg ups Next to 'hold' after trading update
Berenberg upped Next to ‘hold’ from ‘sell’ on Friday following the retailer’s well-received trading update a day earlier.
Services PMI ticks up in December but growth subdued amid Brexit woes
Activity in the UK services sector picked up more than expected in December but remained subdued amid worries about Brexit, according to figures released on Friday.
Cambria Automobiles' profits grow despite falling sales
Luxury car dealer Cambria Automobiles has kicked off its year with an in line performance, ahead of the prior year on a total and like-for-like basis.
Gear4music crashes on profit warning
Gear4Music hit a bum note at the opening bell on Friday as the retailer warned investors that full-year profits would now likely be "slightly below" the previous year as capacity constraints held back sales growth.
London open: Stocks rise amid trade hopes as investors eye payrolls
London stocks rose in early trade on Friday amid renewed optimism about Sino-US trade relations and following encouraging Chinese services data, as investors eyed the release of the latest US non-farm payrolls report.
Jadestone prepares to take over Montara oil field after completion of works
Asia Pacific-focussed oil and gas production company Jadestone Energy announced the completion of works required for the restart of production from the Montara oil field, offshore Australia, on Friday, following an “extensive” maintenance and inspection shutdown.