Market Pulse
London close: Stocks reverse losses to finish slightly higher
London markets saw modest gains by the close on Wednesday, following Wall Street higher in afternoon trading.
GreenRoc secures exploration licence extension in Greenland
GreenRoc Mining announced on Wednesday that the Greenland government has approved the extension of its exclusive mineral exploration licence 2022-03.
FTSE 250 movers: IDS jumps on new proposals; Renishaw falls
London’s FTSE 250 was up 0. 1% at 19,728. 49 in afternoon trade on Wednesday.
FTSE 100 movers: Banks and miners gain; RS Group retreats
London’s FTSE 100 was down 0. 1% at 7,926. 24 in afternoon trade on Wednesday.
Duke Capital makes follow-on investment in New Path
Duke Capital announced a follow-on investment of £3. 85m into its existing capital partner, New Path Fire and Security, on Wednesday.
US private sector adds more jobs than expected in March - ADP
Private sector employment in the US rose more than expected in March, according to figures released on Wednesday by the ADP.
SDX starts drilling BMK-2 well in Morocco
SDX announced the start of drilling operations for the Beni Malek-2 well (BMK-2) in the Rharb Basin of Morocco on Wednesday, situated 1. 5 kilometres from the BMK-1 discovery well.
Genedrive shares jump on NICE test recommendation
Genedrive shares were surging on Wednesday, after it received a significant endorsement from the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) regarding its ‘CYP2C19-ID’ test.
Corero secures large contract renewal and expansion
Corero Network Security announced a substantial contract renewal and expansion with a prominent US software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider on Wednesday, marking one of its most significant transactions to date.
Time Finance expands its funding facilities
Specialist finance provider Time Finance announced a significant expansion of its asset finance facility in collaboration with the British Business Bank on Wednesday, under its ‘ENABLE’ funding programme.
Virgin Atlantic reports record revenue as losses narrow
Virgin Atlantic reported record total revenue of £3. 1bn in its 2023 results on Wednesday, up £265m year-on-year as the long-haul airline capitalised on demand for premium leisure travel and holidays.
Alpha Group lays out plans for main market listing
Alpha Group International affirmed its plan to seek admission to the Official List premium segment and trade on the main market of the London Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
London midday: Stocks stay down on US rate cut doubts
London stocks were still in the red by midday on Wednesday following a weaker close on Wall Street, amid growing doubts over US interest rate cuts following solid economic data.
US pre-open: Stocks seen lower ahead of Powell speech
US stock futures pointed to more losses on Wall Street on Wednesday amid growing doubts over rate cuts, as investors eyed a speech by Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell.
AB Dynamics acquires Michigan-based VTS
AB Dynamics announced the completed acquisition of Venshure Test Services (VTS) on Wednesday, marking a significant expansion of its testing capabilities, particularly in the United States.
IDS proposes axing some daily Royal Mail services
International Distributions Services proposed an end to daily Second Class deliveries by Royal Mail on Wednesday, in its submission to Ofcom on the future of the Universal Service, in a bid to save up to £300m per year.
Calnex ends tougher year in line with market forecasts
Telecommunications and cloud computing test and measurement specialist Calnex Solutions said in an update on Wednesday that for the 2024 financial year, it anticipated results in line with market expectations, with revenues reaching £16. 3m and margins maintained.
Asia report: Markets follow Wall Street stocks into the red
Asia-Pacific stocks closed in negative territory across the board on Wednesday, mirroring the overnight losses observed on Wall Street.
De La Rue secures 5-year extension to Microsoft contract
De La Rue said on Wednesday that it has signed a five-year renewal of its contract with Microsoft for the supply of "innovative authentication solutions" to the company’s OEM, Retail and Xbox channels.
Peel Hunt flags full-year loss amid challenging market
Peel Hunt said in an update on Wednesday that it expected revenue for the financial year just ended to align closely with market projections, reaching about £85. 5m - a notable uptick of around 4% compared to £82. 3m in the 2023 period.