Full List Of Stories
US close: Stocks finish higher as investors await stimulus news
Wall Street’s main stock market gauges finished higher on Tuesday, buoyed by reports of possible further fiscal stimulus in the pipeline and some positive news on the pandemic front.
London close: Markets finish positive as BP lifts benchmark
London’s benchmark finished just above the waterline after a choppy session on Tuesday, following strong gains in the previous session, as investors sifted through results from the likes of BP and Diageo.
EC to probe Google acquisition of wearables giant Fitbit
The European Commission has opened an investigation over the proposed acquisition of Fitbit by Google, it announced on Tuesday, under the EU’s merger regulations.
Tiziana inks four deals for development of Covid-19 treatment
Biotechnology company Tiziana Life Sciences has signed agreements with four contract research organisations, it announced on Tuesday, to expedite the clinical development of ‘TZLS-501’ - a novel, fully human anti-interleukin-6 receptor (anti-IL6R) monoclonal antibody (mAb) for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
Beeks shares fall as it reports 'good progress' on strategy
Financial cloud computing company Beeks Financial Cloud Group updated the market on its trading for the year ended 30 June on Tuesday, reporting “continued good progress” against its strategic objectives.
Covid 'holds back' some service lines for Keywords Studios
Video games technical and creative services provider Keywords Studios updated the market on its first-half trading on Tuesday, reporting that some of its service lines had been “held back” due to Covid-19 disruption, particularly in its testing and audio units.
Futura Medical upbeat on cannabidiol gel lab work
Pharmaceutical company Futura Medical announced the completion of initial laboratory and optimisation work on a ‘Dermasys’ cannabidiol gel, dubbed ‘CBD100’, under the joint venture collaboration agreement with CBDerma Technology that was announced in September.
Serabi Gold agrees drawdown period extension on Greenstone facility
Brazil-focussed gold mining and development company Serabi Gold announced on Tuesday that it has agreed with Greenstone Resources II to extend the period during which it can draw down on the $12m (£9. 21m) convertible loan facility by six months.
Keller Group delays interim dividend as profits rise
Geotechnical specialist Keller Group reported a 5% fall in revenue at constant currency in its first half on Tuesday, to £1. 04bn, as its underlying operating profit improved 20% to £47. 9m.
Brickability brings staff off furlough as construction activity returns
Construction materials distributor Brickability updated the market on its trading on Tuesday, reporting that the Covid-19 pandemic had created, and was still creating, “unique challenges”.
Open Orphan signs new pharma trial contract with Carna
Pharmaceutical services company Open Orphan announced the signing of a new contract with Carna Bioscience on Tuesday, for a first-in-human clinical pharmacology trial.
AstraZeneca prices $3bn, three-tranche bond offering
AstraZeneca has priced a three-tranche global bond offering totalling $3bn (£2. 3bn), it announced on Tuesday, to possibly repay its current debt.
Asia report: Most markets higher as RBA stands pat on policy
Markets in Asia finished mostly higher on Tuesday, as Australia’s central bank stood pat on its monetary policy.
IWG swings to operating loss as Covid hits workspace demand
IWG reported a “good first half performance” given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Tuesday, with revenue rising 3. 5% year-on-year to £1. 32bn, although it swung to an operating loss as many of its clients’ workforces stayed home.
Wizz Air passengers still down in July, network expansions announced
Wizz Air reported a 25. 7% fall in its capacity year-on-year in July, to 3. 02 million seats, as passenger numbers were down 53% on the prior year, at 1. 82 million.
Babcock scraps dividend as revenue, earnings weakness remains
Babcock said on Tuesday that it would not be paying a final dividend, as revenue and profits remained weaker in the first quarter of the new financial year.
BP halves quarterly dividend, Diageo proposes unchanged distribution
London open The FTSE 100 is expected to open 10 points lower on Tuesday, having closed up 2. 29% at 6,032. 85 on Monday.