Sunday newspaper round-up: Kursk, AstraZeneca, BAE Systems

bae dl systems defence military — BAE SystemsBAE Systems

America's President has authorised Ukraine to employ long-range ATACMS supplied by the US to strike targets inside Russia. More specifically, Kyiv will now be allowed to strike targets within the Kursk region, the New York Times reported. Speculation may increase that permission from Britain, the US and France to do the same with Storm Shadow missiles could follow. Joe Biden's decision is said to have been triggered by the appearance of North Korean troops in the Kursk region. - The Sunday Telegraph

Aerospace and Defence

11,688.45

09:15 18/11/24

0.41%

47.60

AstraZeneca

9,876.00p

09:15 18/11/24

-1.02%

-102.00p

BAE Systems

1,292.50p

09:15 18/11/24

0.43%

5.50p

Financial Services

16,518.41

09:09 18/11/24

-0.14%

-23.26

FTSE 100

8,076.81

09:15 18/11/24

n/a

FTSE 250

20,497.68

09:15 18/11/24

n/a

FTSE 350

4,460.97

09:15 18/11/24

n/a

FTSE All-Share

4,418.94

09:15 18/11/24

n/a

Hargreaves Lansdown

1,089.00p

09:14 18/11/24

-0.18%

-2.00p

Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology

19,175.88

09:15 18/11/24

-0.42%

-81.84

AstraZeneca is picking up the pace of its towards the US. It is a move likely to be welcomed by the Trump administration. For the Labour government's plans to turbo-charge UK growth on the other hand it will be a setback. The pharma giant under its boss Pascal Soriot is funnelling $3.5bn into new research and development and manufacturing plants in the States that will require thousands of new hires. Back on home shores however the company's talks with the Government to build a £450m factory in Liverpool have hit a snag. - The Financial Mail on Sunday

BAE Systems is planning to build an artillery factory in Sheffield through the investment of £25m on a 94,000 square foot site. The new factory will be used to build the M777 lightweight howitzer. The defence engineer says that the factory will "sustain and revitalise vital UK artillery capabilities". Work has begun and is scheduled to be finished in 2025. - Financial Mail on Sunday

Over 5,000 investors in Neil Woodford's failed equity fund are suing Hargraves Lansdown, according to RGL Management. That's nearly twice as many as two years before. They allege that the investment platform continued to promote the fund despite being aware of its problems. RGL was expecting the total sum of the claims to surpass £200m. Roughly 300,000 persons invested in Woodford's fund, of which 130,000 did so through Hargreaves. - Guardian