Market Report
Royal Mail, ContourGlobal, On The Beach promoted in FTSE reshuffle
Royal Mail has bounced straight back into the FTSE 100 after just three months out of the top flight index, while it was all-change as the FTSE 250 index welcomed demoted Hammerson and new names including Bakkavor, Charter Court and ContourGlobal plus retail stalwart Games Workshop.
US close: Markets reverse earlier gains to finish in the red
Trading on Wall Street finished in the red on Wednesday, having bounced higher earlier in the session after a sell-off on Tuesday was fuelled by new Fed chair Jerome Powell's congressional testimony on, which rattled the market.
Thursday preview: WPP, US data barrage ahead
The market spotlight on Thursday is likely to again be on recently-appointed US central bank chief Jerome Powell, as he delivers the second part of his semi-annual testimony to Congress, this time before the Senate Banking Committee.
Europe close: Late selling hits stocks across the Continent
A wave of selling in the final stretch of the session weighed on stocks across the Continent on the last day of the month.
Results round-up
Foxtons' annual profits fell by almost two-thirds as the estate agent suffered from the seizing up of transactions in the London property market.
US open: Stocks mostly higher at month-end after Fed comments
Trading on Wall Street opened marginally firmer on Wednesday, with shares bouncing back from a sell-off fuelled by new Fed chair Jerome Powell's congressional testimony on Tuesday, which rattled the market.
Dick's Sporting Goods, US gun retailer, stops selling assault rifles
Dick’s Sporting Goods has announced the removal of assault-style weapons from its stores and has raised the age for gun buyers to over 21.
Avingtrans revenues soar after HTG acquisition
Engineered components, systems, and services provider Avingtrans saw revenue hit £26. 9m in the six months leading to 13 November, up from the £9. 6m reported at the same time a year earlier, driven principally by its earlier acquisition of the Hayward Tyler Group.
London close: Stocks slip after China data disappoints
London stocks closed lower on Wednesday, weighed down by weakness in the mining sector and disappointing earnings from ITV and Taylor Wimpey, as the City was covered in a blanket of snow.
Arsenal offsets turnover decrease by netting profit from transfers
Arsenal Holdings PLC, the group which operates Arsenal Football Club, recorded a decrease in operating profits in their half year results on Wednesday as the club continues to struggle on the pitch.
Shire's haemophilia unit 'is sustainable', but Societe Generale trims target price
Analysts at Societe Generale took a look at biotech company Shire on Wednesday, both execution and communication need to improve for investors to ignore the "thousand cuts" and focus on the payday ahead as it cut its target price by 500p.
Sector movers: GKN lifts auto parts, dollar and China hit miners
GKN led the automobiles & parts sector on Wednesday as the war of word with unwanted suitor Melrose Industries continued.
Office Depot swings to fourth quarter loss despite improved revenue
US retailer Office Depot posted a $48m loss in its fourth-quarter on Wednesday, just twelve months after reporting a $55m profit for the same period.
FTSE 250 movers: Travis Perkins hammered, retailers gloomy again
The FTSE 250 was feeling the cold more than its illustrious big sister on Wednesday, as falls from Travis Perkins and a raft of retailers.
Travis Perkins profits down amid tough trading conditions
Building merchant Travis Perkins posted its annual results for the year ended 31 December on Wednesday, reporting lower profits and guiding to a flat 2018.
Government must share blame over nuclear clean-up contract failure, say MPs
The UK government has been accused of being partly to blame for shortfalls on a nuclear clean-up contract that wound up costing taxpayers as much as £122m in legal expenses.
Primorus to sell 5pc Horse Hill Developments interest to Solo Oil
Primorus Investments has entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement to dispose of a 5% interest in Horse Hill Developments to Solo Oil, it announced on Wednesday.
Globalworth makes solid progress with developments
Globalworth Real Estate updated the market for its operations for the year ended 31 December on Wednesday, ahead of the publication of its annual report in early March.
Surgical Innovations subsidiary extends agreement with Microline
Surgical Innovations Group announced on Wednesday that its wholly owned subsidiary, Elemental Healthcare, has signed an additional three-year exclusive UK distribution agreement with Microline Surgical in the US, which was due for renewal on 31 March.
Market buzz: Tesco-Booker deal voted through, pound clobbered on Brexit
1559: Tesco and Booker Group shareholders have both voted through the supermarket giant's contentious £3. 7bn takeover of the country's leading wholesaler.