Market Pulse
Ocado tanks as Canadian partner Sobeys pauses launch of Vancouver warehouse
Ocado tumbled on Thursday as it said the planned launch of North American partner Sobeys' customer fulfilment centre in Vancouver had been paused and that the two have agreed to end terms related to mutual exclusivity.
London close: Stocks rise as BoE holds interest rates
London stocks ended Thursday on a positive note following the Bank of England's decision to maintain interest rates, aligning with market expectations despite the backdrop of decreasing inflation.
Director dealings: M&G chair invests, Investec director offloads shares
Among the director dealings were disclosed to the market on Thursday were two involving executives from M&G and Investec Group.
Interpath in advanced talks to buy KPMG’s French restructuring arm - report
Interpath Advisory is reportedly in advanced talks to buy KPMG’s restructuring division in France, with a deal possible as soon as next month.
Avacta Group appoints new non-executive chair
Life science company Avacta Group announced the appointment of Shaun Chilton as its non-executive chairman on Thursday, succeeding Eliot Forster, who was stepping down from the board with immediate effect.
Strix reports promising signs of kettle control market recovery
Kettle safety and water technology specialist Strix issued an optimistic update on Thursday, reporting promising signs of recovery in the kettle controls market as the peak season approached.
FTSE 100 movers: DS Smith in the black; Ocado tumbles
London’s FTSE 100 was up 0. 6% at 8,252. 48 in afternoon trade on Thursday.
Berenberg downgrades SSP to 'hold'
Berenberg downgraded its stance on shares of Upper Crust owner SSP to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’ on Thursday and cut the price target to 180p from 280p as it said first-half results outlined earnings risks.
Sirius Real Estate makes £31m worth of UK acquisitions
Germany and UK-focussed business and industrial park investor Sirius Real Estate announced £31m worth of completed acquisitions in the UK on Thursday.
GCP Infrastructure upbeat on first-half performance
GCP Infrastructure Investments reported a strong first-half performance on Thursday, with a total shareholder return of 12. 5%.
London midday: FTSE stays just higher as BoE stands pat
London stocks were still just a touch higher by midday on Thursday as the Bank of England left interest rates on hold as widely expected, despite falling inflation.
XPS Pensions Group reports year of strong growth
XPS Pensions Group reported a 21% increase in group revenue in its final results on Thursday, to £196. 6m.
JPMorgan slashes Spectris price target after profit warning
JPMorgan Cazenove cut its price target on Spectris on Thursday to 2,750p from 2,950p as it downgraded forecasts following the company’s profit warning a day earlier.
Harworth sells Ironbridge land parcel to Taylor Wimpey
Land and property regenerator Harworth Group announced the completed sale of a 16-acre serviced land parcel at its Benthall Grange mixed-use development on the site of the former Ironbridge Power Station in Shropshire on Thursday.
Speedy Hire inks big contract with Amey Group
Tool and equipment rental provider Speedy Hire announced a significant infrastructure contract with Amey Group Services on Thursday.
Syncona adds two oncology investments to portfolio
Life science investor Syncona announced the addition of two new oncology companies to its portfolio on Thursday.
Asia report: Stocks mixed as China maintains key lending rates
Asia-Pacific markets experienced a mixed performance on Thursday following China's decision to keep its benchmark lending rates unchanged.
LSL Property reports robust trading performance
LSL Property Services reported a robust trading performance in an update on Thursday, on the back of the strategic transformation work it completed last year, which, combined with improving market conditions, had positioned the company for growth.
Berenberg slashes YouGov price target
Berenberg slashed its price target on YouGov on Thursday to 1,200p from 1,350p after the company warned that full-year profits and revenue will be lower than expected due to slow demand in its data products division.
Lords Group trading in line as it integrates acquisitions
Building materials distributor Lords Group reported stable revenue in line with management expectations in an update on Thursday.