Market Pulse
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Henry Boot subsidiary sells roughly 600 plots in the Midlands
Property developer Henry Boot's Hallam Land subsidiary has unconditionally exchanged contracts for the sale of roughly 600 plots in the Midlands, taking the firm's ungeared internal rate of return of 28% per annum.
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Tullow Oil in preliminary talks over potential takeover by Kosmos
Tullow Oil confirmed on Thursday that it is in preliminary talks with Kosmos Energy about a possible all-share offer for the oil and gas exploration company.
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Broker tips: Diageo, SThree
Diageo fizzed higher on Thursday as UBS upgraded the shares to ‘buy’ from ‘sell and hiked the price target to 2,920p from 2,300p, saying it sees upside risks to the US business.
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London close: Stocks mixed after ECB rate cut
London stocks finished on a mixed note Thursday, as investors digested an interest rate cut from the European Central Bank, as Diageo held onto gains through the close.
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Director dealings: Ashtead CEO snaps up shares
Ashtead revealed on Thursday that chief executive officer Brendan Horgan had acquired 4,000 ordinary shares in the FTSE 100-listed industrial equipment rental firm.
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FTSE 100 movers: Utilities boosted by broker notes
London’s FTSE 100 was up 0. 1% at 8,308. 72 in afternoon trade on Thursday.
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US open: Stocks lower following PPI reading
Wall Street stocks were in the red on Thursday as traders digested this week's second key inflation reading.
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Helix confirms helium discovery at Rudyard Project
Helix Exploration confirmed a commercial helium discovery at its Darwin #1 well, part of the Rudyard Project within the Montana Helium Fairway, on Thursday.
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US producer prices rise 0.4pc in November
The US producer price index rose 3% on an annualised basis and 0. 4% month-on-month in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, stronger than expectations.
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Orcadian strikes farm-out deal for Earlham and Orwell
Orcadian Energy announced a farm-out agreement for a 50% stake in its Earlham and Orwell gas projects to the Marine Low Carbon Power Company (MLCP) on Thursday.
Make UK appoints Lord Harrington as new chair
Make UK said on Thursday that it has appointed Lord Richard Harrington as its new chair, succeeding Lord Hutton, who has chaired the manufacturers’ organisation since 2022.
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US jobless claims unexpectedly rise to 242,000
Americans lined up for unemployment benefits at an accelerated pace in the week ended 7 December, according to the Department of Labor.
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ECB cuts rates by 25 basis points, as expected
The European Central Bank cut interest rates on Thursday by 25 basis points, as expected, to 3%.
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Rio Tinto to invest $2.5bn to expand Argentina’s Rincon project
Rio Tinto said on Thursday that it will invest $2. 5bn to expand the Rincon project in Argentina, its first commercial scale lithium operation.
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Inspiration Healthcare names Harout Rafi as CEO
Medical technology firm Inspiration Healthcare said on Thursday that it had nominated Harout Rafi to take over as the group's next chief executive officer.
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Firering commissions first of eight kilns at Limeco project
Firering Strategic Minerals announced the successful commissioning of the first of eight kilns at its Limeco quicklime project in Zambia on Thursday.
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US pre-open: Futures lower following CPI reading
Wall Street futures were in the red ahead of the bell on Thursday as traders looked ahead to additional inflation data.
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London midday: Stocks stay up ahead of ECB; Diageo boosted by upgrade
London stocks were still a little firmer by midday on Thursday as investors eyed the latest policy announcement from the European Central Bank, with Diageo pacing the gains after a rating upgrade.
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Hutchmed lung cancer therapy gets breakthrough designation in China
Hutchmed China announced on Thursday that the Center for Drug Evaluation of China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has granted breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) to the combination of ‘Orpathys’, or savolitinib, and ‘Tagrisso’, or osimertinib.
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RWS Holdings returns to growth in second half
Technology-enabled language, content, and intellectual property service provider RWS Holdings said in its final results on Thursday that it returned to growth in the second half, driven by strong performance in AI-led solutions and ongoing strategic investments.