Market Pulse
Ithaca Energy in line for potential credit rating upgrades
UK North Sea oil and gas operator Ithaca Energy said in an update on Wednesday that both Moody's Ratings and Fitch Ratings were considering an upgrade to its corporate family rating.
STV Studios wins three BBC Daytime commissions
STV Group announced on Wednesday that its STV Studios division has secured three recommissions from BBC Daytime.
Plant Health Care FY revenues down, US sales boost YTD performance
Peptides provider Plant Health Care said on Wednesday that although full-year revenues were down in 2023, US sales throughout the first four months of FY24 had boosted year-to-date revenues.
Brighton Pier Group swings to loss
Brighton Pier Group said on Wednesday that it swung to a full-year loss as revenue fell amid challenging trading conditions.
JD Wetherspoon sees FY profits at top of market forecast
Pub group JD Wetherspoon said on Wednesday that full-year profits were set to be towards the top of market expectations as it reported a jump in third-quarter sales, boosted by sales of traditional ales and Guinness.
Burberry CFO to take short leave of absence
Burberry said on Wednesday that chief financial officer Kate Ferry will be taking a short leave of absence after undergoing "unscheduled surgery".
Asia report: Japan leads losses as Toyota, Nintendo flag weakness
Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region were in a mixed state on Thursday, with Japan’s markets leading the decliners, as investors thumbed through a series of earnings reports from the region.
MaxCyte reports strong first quarter
MaxCyte reported total first-quarter revenue of $11. 3m in an update on Wednesday, making for a 32% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Lords Group names Stuart Kilpatrick as new CFO
Building materials business Lords Group has appointed Stuart Kilpatrick as its next chief financial officer.
XP Factory delivers continued growth in Q1
Leisure businesses operator XP Factory said on Wednesday that it had delivered continued growth in Q1, setting its full-year performance on a course to meet guidance.
SoftBank in talks to buy UK’s Graphcore - report
Japan’s SoftBank is reportedly in talks to buy Graphcore, a struggling British semiconductor start-up once valued at $2. 8bn.
3i Infrastructure tops full-year total return target
3i Infrastructure announced a successful financial year on Wednesday, reporting an 11. 4% return for the 12 months ended 31 March, topping its target for a total return of 8% to 10% per annum over the medium term.
London open: Stocks gain as Informa, Wetherspoons rally
London stocks rose in early trade on Wednesday, helped along by solid performances from the likes of Informa and Wetherspoons, as investors eyed this week’s Bank of England policy announcement.
Boohoo full-year losses widen amid 'challenging' trading conditions
Fast-fashion retailer Boohoo reported a widening of its full-year losses on Wednesday in "challenging" trading conditions, as it was hit by inflation and weaker demand.
London pre-open: FTSE seen up as attention turns to BoE
London stocks were set for more gains on Wednesday as investors looked ahead to this week’s policy announcement from the Bank of England.
Wednesday newspaper round-up: E-gates, Mike Ashley, Brexit
More than 800,000 people in Europe and the US appear to have been duped into sharing card details and other sensitive personal data with a vast network of fake online designer shops apparently operated from China. An international investigation by the Guardian, Die Zeit and Le Monde gives a rare inside look at the mechanics of what the UK’s Chartered Trading Standards Institute has described as one of the largest scams of its kind, with 76,000 fake websites created.
US close: Dow Jones delivers fifth-straight daily gain
Major indices turned in a mixed performance on Tuesday as the blue-chip Dow Jones registered its fifth positive session in a row.