Market Pulse
US close: Stocks close lower as State of the Union offers little on Trump's economic agenda
US stocks closed lower on Wednesday as Donald Trump's State of the Union address overnight snapped a 5-day winning streak for the S&P 500 and left investors wanting more.
London close: Stocks little changed and pound stabilises ahead of MPC
London stocks pared early losses to finish little changed on Wednesday, as solid corporate news underpinned the housebuilding sector and ahead of the Monetary Policy Committee's quarterly Inflation Report and presser the following day.
Director dealings: Outgoing Carclo CEO lowers stake
Outgoing Carclo chief executive Chris Malley disposed of 100,000 ordinary shares in the technical plastics supplier on Wednesday.
Broker tips: Vodafone, Centrica, National Grid
There is "light at the end of the tunnel" for Vodafone, said Bank of America Merrill Lynch on Wednesday, upgrading the mobile telecoms group to a 'buy' rating.
Thursday preview: BoE in focus
All eyes will be on the Bank of England today and not just on these shores, given how a 'no-deal' Brexit outcome, and its fall-out, might come just as global growth is at its lowest ebb, in early 2019.
Sector movers: Housebuilders and banks on the rise
Media, drinks, tobacco and personal goods were the sectors in the red on Wednesday, as the FTSE 100 slipped back but its smaller sibling continued to climb with help from housebuilders, challenger banks and construction materials.
US open: Stocks trade lower following State of the Union address
Wall Street trading began with some small losses on Wednesday as Donald Trump's State of the Union address overnight left investors wanting more.
FTSE 100 movers: Barratt rallies on results; Ocado hit by blaze
London's FTSE 100 was flat at 7,176. 71 in afternoon trade on Wednesday following impressive gains in the previous session.
CYBG surges on early Virgin Money progress, stronger margins
CYBG reported "good progress" with the integration of Virgin Money since completing the merger in October, with lending up and margins stronger than expected despite pressure from the highly competitive UK mortgage market.
EC blocks mergers of Siemens and Alstom, Wieland and Aurubis
The European Commission blocked the merger of Siemens and Alstom on Wednesday, saying the deal would have hindered competition and led to higher prices for travellers.
ITM Power secures £1.8m in deal with OLEV
Energy storage and clean fuel outfit ITM Power has been awarded a contract to deliver a 0. 5-megawatt refuelling station from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles.
US trade deficit narrows sharply in November
America's shortfall in trade with the rest of the world narrowed sharply in November, on the heels of a large drop in purchases from overseas.
SysGroup to buy Newport-based Certus for up to £9m
Managed IT services and cloud hosting provider SysGroup has agreed to buy Newport-based Certus IT Limited for up to £9m in cash.
Trump calls on Congress to approve USMCA, grant greater trade powers
The US President called on Tuesday evening for lawmakers to support his revamped trade deal with Mexico and Canada, even as Congress moved to curtail his ability to impose new tariffs.
OnTheMarket enjoys record traffic in January
Property website OnTheMarket saw traffic to its portal exceed 23. 5m hits in January, a new monthly record.
US pre-open: Stocks seen a touch lower but Snap surges on results
US stock futures pointed to small losses at the open on Wednesday as President Trump's State of the Union address left investors wanting more.
Ocado growth plans singed as fire blazes through night
Firefighters have been unable to stop a fire in one of Ocado's robot-operated warehouses, damaging the majority of the building and its contents.
Frontier Development turns in record first half results
Video games publisher Frontier Developments saw revenues and earnings rise to record levels in the first half of its trading year.
London midday: Stocks pare losses as housebuilders rally
London stocks had pared earlier losses to trade broadly flat by midday on Wednesday as solid corporate news underpinned the housebuilding sector.
Europe midday: Stocks mostly lower as German data adds to recession fears
European stocks were mostly lower by midday on Wednesday as weak German manufacturing figures added to concerns about a slowdown in the eurozone's largest economy.