Market Pulse
US open: Stocks higher following PCE reading
Wall Street stocks opened higher on Friday as the blue-chip tried to reclaim heavy losses recorded earlier in the week.
Weekly review
The FTSE 100 ended the week down 215. 72 points, or 2. 6%, closing at 8,084. 61 on Friday.
London close: Stocks mixed as US PCE inflation holds steady
London stocks ended the day on a mixed note Friday, as investors weighed weaker-than-expected UK retail sales growth and cooler US price growth than anticipated.
Atome reports positive progress at Villeta project
Green fertiliser project developer Atome reported progress on its flagship 145MW Villeta project in Paraguay on Friday.
FTSE 100 movers: Frasers jumps; utilities give back gains
London’s FTSE 100 was down 1. 2% at 8,011. 35 in afternoon trade on Friday.
Boohoo shareholders vote down Mike Ashley board appointment
Boohoo said on Friday that its shareholders had voted overwhelmingly against the appointment of Frasers Group’s Mike Ashley and restructuring expert Mike Lennon to the board.
US pre-open: Dow Jones on track for worst weekly performance since March 2023
Wall Street futures had stocks opening lower on Friday, with the blue-chip Dow Jones on track to deliver its worst weekly performance since March 2023.
London midday: Stocks fall further as investors eye US inflation reading
London stocks had fallen further by midday on Friday as investors mulled a smaller-than-expected rise in retail sales but better-than-expected borrowing figures, ahead of a key US inflation reading.
ITM Power wins EU FEED contract
Energy storage and clean fuel company ITM Power said on Friday that it has been selected as the technology provider and awarded a Front-End Engineering Design contract for a 50-megawatt EU green hydrogen production site.
Oracle Power appoints Apex for Blue Rocks Valley exploration
Oracle Power announced on Friday that it has appointed Apex Geoscience to lead exploration activities at the Blue Rocks Valley Copper and Silver Project in Western Australia’s Ashburton Basin.
Novo Nordisk shares slide despite promising weight loss trial results
Novo Nordisk has announced promising results from its REDEFINE 1 phase three trial of CagriSema, a combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide designed for weight loss in adults with obesity or overweight and comorbidities.
Tekcapital's Guident awarded European AI patent
Intellectual property investor Tekcapital announced on Friday that its portfolio company Guident had been awarded a European patent, titled ‘Artificial Intelligence Method and Apparatus for Remote Monitoring and Control of Autonomous Vehicles’.
Ariana Resources revises timeline for ASX dual listing
Mineral explorer and developer Ariana Resources revised the timeline for its proposed dual-listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) on Friday, now targeting completion in the first half of 2025.
Elixirr declared interim dividend for payment in February
Consultancy Elixirr International declared an interim dividend of 6. 3p per share for the year ending 31 December on Friday.
Asia report: Most markets fall as PBoC keeps key lending rates steady
Markets in the Asia-Pacific region closed mostly lower on Friday as investors reacted to China's decision to keep key lending rates unchanged and Japan's release of higher-than-expected November inflation data.
European Metals Holdings ups planned lithium production at Cinovec
European Metals Holdings announced a significant increase in the planned annual production of battery-grade lithium chemicals at its flagship Cinovec Project in the Czech Republic on Friday.
Shearwater secures £2.3m in contract wins
Cybersecurity services firm Shearwater Group said on Friday that it has secured £2. 3m in contract wins, including a "significant services contract" with a "leading global financial services provider".
Somero CEO to retire, chair to step down
Somero Enterprises announced significant leadership changes on Friday, with chief executive officer and president Jack Cooney set to retire on 31 March after 27 years with the company.
Headlam makes £54m from property sales, announces chair succession
Floorcoverings distributor Headlam Group announced progress in its ongoing transformation plan on Friday, with property sales generating £53. 9m in cash proceeds.
Eden Research gets approval for Novellus+ in Mexico
Biopesticides and biocontrol products developer Eden Research announced on Friday that it has received regulatory approval in Mexico for ‘Novellus+’, an enhanced version of its flagship fungicide ‘Mevalone’.