Market Pulse
London close: Stocks rise with deal news in focus
London markets ended Thursday in positive territory, with deal activity providing a significant boost to specific sectors.
Broker tips: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Cranswick, Weir, Easyjet, JD Sports
JPMorgan Cazenove double upgraded Sainsbury's and Tesco on Thursday as it took a look at the outlook for European food retail.
FTSE 100 movers: Spirax-Sarco boosted by broker notes; Aviva in the red
London’s FTSE 100 was up 0. 1% at 8,282. 81 in afternoon trade on Thursday.
Director dealings: Johnson Matthey CEO snaps up shares
Johnson Matthey revealed on Thursday that chief executive Liam Condon had acquired 10,000 ordinary shares in the FTSE 250-listed firm.
Strategic Minerals extends Cobre access for two more years
Strategic Minerals announced a two-year extension to its access agreement for the Cobre magnetite stockpile in New Mexico on Thursday, pushing the expiration date from 31 March 2027 to 31 March 2029.
Diaceutics reports progress in scaling US strategy
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology specialist Diaceutics announced significant progress in scaling its US commercial strategy on Thursday, through a series of data partnership agreements.
EnSilica reports robust contract momentum
EnSilica, a designer of mixed-signal application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), announced robust contract momentum and a significant pipeline of opportunities in an update on Thursday.
Cranswick a ‘great’ business but ‘fairly valued’, says RBC Capital
RBC Capital Markets downgraded food producer Cranswick to ‘sector perform’ from ‘outperform’ on Thursday but lifted the price target to 4,900p from 4,700p as it said it was a "great" business but "fairly valued".
Kingfisher and M&S express interest in Homebase sites - report
Marks & Spencer and Kingfisher have reportedly both expressed interest in taking over the sites of several Homebase stores after the DIY retailer fell into administration earlier in November.
JPMorgan double upgrades Sainsbury’s and Tesco to ‘overweight’
JPMorgan Cazenove double upgraded Sainsbury’s and Tesco on Thursday as it took a look at the outlook for European food retail.
London midday: Stocks flat but Renewi, Direct Line surge on deal news
London stocks had pared earlier gains to trade flat by midday on Thursday, but Renewi and Direct Line powered ahead on deal news.
eEnergy secures contract with Newcastle College
Digital energy services provider eEnergy said on Thursday that it has secured a £975,000 contract with Newcastle College Group to deliver a full LED lighting conversion across ten buildings in Newcastle and Carlisle.
Renewi 'minded to recommend' 870p a share takeover bid from Macquarie
Renewi shares rocketed on Thursday after the waste management company said it was minded to recommend a £700m takeover proposal from Australian investment firm Macquarie Asset Management, should a firm offer be made.
Artemis unveils high-grade sampling results from Thorpe Prospect
Artemis Resources announced high-grade gold and copper assay results from rock chip sampling at its Thorpe Prospect on Thursday, part of the 100%-owned Karratha Gold Project in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
Berenberg slightly raises target price on Weir Group
Analysts at Berenberg slightly raised their target price on engineering giant Weir Group from 2,450. 0p to 2,500. 0p on Thursday as it said long-term value was continuing to emerge.
Czech billionaire Kretinsky closing in on deal to buy Royal Mail - report
The sale of Royal Mail to Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's EP Group is reportedly close to being finalised and could be confirmed in the next two weeks.
Impax revenue, earnings fall as AuM remains steady
Impax Asset Management posted a modest decline in revenue and profits for the year ended 30 September on Thursday, while maintaining steady assets under management.
Higher Aviva offer might be forthcoming if Direct Line engages, says Jefferies
A higher takeover proposal from Aviva might be forthcoming, Jefferies said in a note on Thursday, as it commented on the insurer’s £3. 3bn takeover proposal for Direct Line.
Asia report: Markets mixed after suprise Korea rate cut
Markets in the Asia-Pacific region saw a mixed performance on Thursday as investors weighed South Korea's unexpected interest rate cut and a subdued session on Wall Street.
Revenue, earning fall for James Latham
Timber and panel products specialist James Latham posted a slight decline in revenue and profitability for the six months ended 30 September on Thursday, citing market pressures and changing product dynamics.