Market Pulse
RBS seeks permission for share buy-backs from government
RBS will ask shareholders for approval to deploy some of its excess capital for the repurchase of shares from the Treasury off-market.
Europe close: Stocks rebound from early weakness
Stockmarkets on the Continent recovered from some early selling pressure, helped by a positive start to the trading day on Wall Street.
Friday preview: UK retail sales, Bakkavor in focus
The focus on Friday will be on UK retail sales figures covering the month of December.
Société Générale issues profit warning
Société Générale tumbled on the French stock market on Thursday as it warned that profits would be hit amid a 20% fall in revenue due to a difficult fourth quarter for its capital markets division.
FTSE 250 movers: Babcock loses chair, Just Group and Just Eat climb
London’s FTSE 250 was down 0. 29% at 18,432. 29 in afternoon trade on Thursday, with Babcock International pulling the index lower.
London close: FTSE drips amid trade worries, pound rally
London stocks shivered lower on Thursday amid fresh concerns about global trade relations, worries about the domestic housing market and a late rally for the pound, but solid updates from the likes of Primark owner AB Foods and Sage Group helped to minimise losses.
Michael Cohen admits rigging online polls at Trump's command
Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen on Thursday admitted having tried to rig online polls “at the direction and for the sole benefit of” the President.
France triggers no-deal Brexit contingency plan
France put its Brexit contingency plans into motion on Thursday, amid growing concerns of a no-deal scenario.
Berenberg upgrades William Hill to 'buy', says firm ripe for a takeover
Analysts at Berenberg upgraded their recommendation for William Hill's shares from 'hold' to 'buy', arguing that the shares were just "too cheap" after having nearly halved in value over the course of 2018.
FTSE 100 movers: AB Foods rallies on update; ITV dented by downgrade
London's FTSE 100 was down 0. 3% at 6,843. 47 in afternoon trade on Thursday as investors digested the latest trade tensions between the US and China and continued to keep an eye on Brexit developments.
EasyJet flies lower on Barclays downgrade
EasyJet flew lower on Thursday as Barclays cut its recommendation on the budget airline to 'underweight' from 'equalweight' and chopped the price target to 1,200p from 1,500p, saying this was "a purely relative call".
US open: Investors shrug-off positive data, Morgan Stanley dives
US stocks are hugging the flat-line on Thursday, amid fresh concerns about Sino-US relations and fresh allegations of improper conduct against President Donald Trump from one of his one time lawyers, Michael Cohen, offset by surprisingly positive economic data.
Philly Fed index rises more than expected in January
Manufacturing conditions in the Philadelphia region improved much more than expected in January, according to a survey released on Thursday.
Cello Health sees strong like-for-like growth in 2018
Healthcare-led advisory group Cello Health updated the market for the year ended 31 December on Thursday, reporting that it traded “well” in 2018, with continued strong like-for-like growth from Cello Health somewhat offset by a slower outcome from Cello Signal.
Europe midday: Stocks dip amid ongoing US-China frictions
Stockmarkets on the Continent are trading on the back foot with investor sentiment dampened by reports that the ongoing US government investigation into Chinese technology giant Huawei might soon yield an indictment.
Judges Scientific flags forecast-beating earnings at year-end
Scientific instrument specialist Judges Scientific updated the market on its trading performance for the financial year ended 31 December on Thursday, reporting a “favourable” climate throughout the year.
Fox Marble begins commercial extraction of 'Alexandrian Blue' marble
Fox Marble announced the start of commercial extraction of Alexandrian Blue from its Prilep quarry in Northern Macedonia on Thursday.
Morgan Stanley revenues hammered by volatility in bond markets
Morgan Stanley saw its profits sink at the tail-end of 2018 as volatility in bond markets hammered revenues at the group's bond trading unit.
Frontier Smart Technologies sees seriously improved second half
Digital radio and smart audio device company Frontier Smart Technologies updated the market on its trading for the year ended 31 December on Thursday, saying it expected to report a seriously improved second-half.
US initial jobless claims unexpectedly drop
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly dropped last week, according to data from the Labor Department.