Market Pulse
Space NK owner Manzanita preparing £400m sale - report
The long-standing owner of high street beauty retailer Space NK is reportedly preparing to put it up for sale with a price tag of more than £300m.
Eco Animal Health sells equine parasite treatment for EUR 1.3m
Eco Animal Health announced the sale of ‘ECOmectin Horsepaste’ to its manufacturing partner Acme Drugs in Italy on Thursday, for total consideration of €1. 3m.
UK business activity continues to expand, albeit less than expected
UK business activity continued to expand in March, albeit less than expected, according to a survey released on Thursday.
Ocado chair Haythornthwaite to step down next year
Ocado said on Thursday that chairman Rick Haythornthwaite will be stepping down next year "due to his increasing commitment" as the recently-appointed chair of NatWest.
Plant Health Care registers nematode control product in Mexico
Plant Health Care announced the registration with the Mexican Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS) of PHC68949, a biological nematode control product, and its impending commercial launch in Mexico on Thursday.
Asia report: Most markets rebound from earlier losses
Asia-Pacific markets mostly rebounded Thursday, amid remarks from US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell overnight.
Co-op Group FY profits slump amid record levels of shoplifting
Supermarket chain Co-op Group posted a sharp drop in full-year profits on Thursday as a result of record levels of shoplifting and competition from discount rivals.
Lords Group appoints new finance chief
Building materials distributor Lords Group announced the appointment of Stuart Kilpatrick as its new chief financial officer on Thursday, succeeding Chris Day.
UK new car registrations up 10.4% in March
UK new car registrations rose 10. 4% in March, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers, as carmakers shored up electrified demand.
Motorpoint sees FY losses at 'favourable end' of expectations
Vehicle retailer Motorpoint said on Thursday that full-year pre-tax losses were set to be "at the favourable end" of management expectations following a strong performance in the fourth quarter.
CAB Payments gets Netherlands payment service provider licence, shares surge
CAB Payments surged on Thursday after its Dutch subsidiary secured a payment service provider licence with De Nederlandsche Bank N. V. (DNB).
Ascential lays out plans to return £850m to shareholders
Ascential expanded on its plans to return £850m to shareholders on Thursday, involving a tender offer to acquire up to £300m of Ascential shares, a special dividend of at least £450m, and on-market share buyback programmes to acquire £100m of Ascential shares.
London open: FTSE nudges up ahead of services data
London stocks nudged up in early trade on Thursday following a mostly firmer US session, as investors eyed the latest reading on the UK services sector.
Supermarket Income declares dividend, suspends scrip alternative
Grocery property investor Supermarket Income REIT announced an interim dividend for the quarter ended 31 March on Thursday, of 1. 515p per share.
Future returns to organic revenue growth in second quarter
Future reported a return to organic revenue growth in its second quarter on Thursday, largely attributed to robust performances in Go. Compare, B2B sectors, and resilient magazine sales.
Amaroq starts first underground mining blast at Nalunaq
Amaroq Minerals announced a significant milestone on Thursday, with the successful start of the first underground mining blast at the Nalunaq site in Southern Greenland.
CMA to launch in-depth probe into Vodafone's merger with Three
The Competition and Markets Authority said on Thursday that it will launch an in-depth investigation into the planned £15bn merger between Vodafone and CK Hutchison’s Three that was announced last year.
Bet365 fined £582,000 for failures at online business
Bet365 has been fined £582,120 by the Gambling Commission for anti-money laundering and social responsibility failures at its online business.
London pre-open: FTSE to edge up ahead of services data
London stocks were set to edge up at the open on Thursday following a mostly firmer US session, as investors eyed the latest reading on the UK services sector.
Thursday newspaper round-up: Elon Musk, Dr Martens, HSBC
Delivery app riders pedalling through cities and tailbacks at drive-throughs were familiar signs of Britain’s hunger for takeaway food at the peak of the Covid pandemic. Now a study suggests it became an enduring habit. After a boom in orders on Deliveroo, Just Eat and other platforms by locked-down consumers, research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) suggests the popularity of takeaways, meal deliveries and food-on-the-go bought from retailer such as sandwiches and crisps has remained above pre-pandemic levels after the removal of Covid restrictions.