Market Pulse
London midday: Stocks push higher as Rentokil, Entain gain; ECB eyed
London stocks had pushed higher by midday on Thursday, helped along by solid performances from the likes of Rentokil and Entain, as investors eyed an expected rate cut by the European Central Bank.
Uber exploring possible Expedia bid
Uber has explored a possible bid for travel booking website operator Expedia, according to the Financial Times, a move that would easily mark the ridesharing giant's biggest acquisition to date.
Publicis lifts full-year revenue outlook
French advertising group Publicis lifted its full-year organic revenue forecast on Thursday despite a "challenging" macro environment, as it reported a jump in third-quarter revenues.
Asia report: Chinese property sector leads regional losses
Most Asia-Pacific markets declined on Thursday, with China’s property sector leading the fall after a housing ministry briefing failed to reassure investors.
Speedy Hire H1 revenues slip
Tools and equipment hire business Speedy Hire said on Thursday that interim revenues had slipped, principally due to a drop in lower-margin services income.
Arbuthnot Banking Group reports solid third-quarter growth
Arbuthnot Banking Group reported solid third-quarter growth in an update on Thursday, with customer deposits rising to £3. 8bn, up from £3. 5bn a year earlier, and customer loans increasing to £2. 5bn from £2. 3bn.
N Brown to be taken private by Joshua Alliance in £191m deal, shares surge
N Brown said on Thursday that it has agreed to be taken private by a company owned by Joshua Alliance - whose family has been involved with the group since the 1960s - in a £191m deal.
Canaccord Genuity downgrades Plus500 to 'hold'
Analysts at Canaccord Genuity downgraded capital markets business Plus500 from 'speculative buy' to 'hold' on Thursday but hiked their target price on the stock from 1,883. 0p to 2,650. 0p ahead of the group's Q3 trading update on 28 October.
Octopus Renewables acquires 42MW solar farm near Dublin
Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust (ORIT) announced on Thursday that it has completed the acquisition of a 42MW solar farm near Dublin, expanding its ownership of Ireland’s largest solar complex.
Rathbones funds under management stable
Rathbones Group reported a stable level of funds under management and administration (FUMA) on Thursday, of £108. 8bn as at 30 September, marginally down from £108. 9bn at the end of June.
Ibstock delivers 'solid' Q3 performance
Building products manufacturer Ibstock said on Thursday that it had delivered "a solid performance" in the third quarter, with adjusted underlying earnings broadly in line with internal expectations.
Man Group Q3 outflows hit $5.5bn, AuM falls
Investment management group Man Group posted Q3 outflows of $5. 5bn on Thursday, worse than the $5. 1bn it had forecast, after one of its clients withdrew its funds in order to invest passively.
AJ Bell assets under administration reach record highs in FY24
Investment platform operator AJ Bell said on Thursday that assets under administration hit record highs in the year ended 30 September as both customer numbers and inflows grew.
London open: Stocks flat ahead of expected ECB rate cut
London stocks were flat in early trade on Thursday as investors eyed an expected rate cut by the European Central Bank.
Chemring flags strong trading performance
Chemring reported a strong trading performance for the year-to-date on Thursday, with its full-year outlook remaining in line with analyst expectations despite foreign exchange headwinds.
Mondi cites planned maintenance shuts as Q3 profit falls
Paper and packaging group Mondi said on Thursday that underlying core profit fell in the third quarter in "muted" trade, mainly due to more planned maintenance shuts.
London pre-open: Stocks seen up ahead of ECB policy announcement
London stocks were set to rise at the open on Thursday following a positive session on Wall Street, as investors eyed the latest policy announcement from the European Central Bank.
Thursday newspaper round-up: Tesco, Post Office, Amazon, Stellantis
Tesco has struck a deal to buy enough solar power to run 144 of its large supermarkets, buying almost two-thirds of the entire electricity output from the Cleve Hill solar park in Kent. The £450m solar park is being built on farmland near Faversham by Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, a London-based firm that invests in renewable and low-carbon energy in the US, UK and Australia. – Guardian.