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US close: Stocks rally as Syria worries ease; Bank of America beats expectations
US stocks ended higher on Monday as worries about Syria began to ease following the US-led airstrikes over the weekend, with better-than-expected numbers from Bank of America and solid retail sales data helping to underpin the tone.
Market buzz: Pound strength weighs on stocks, JP Morgan upbeat
1700:Close UK stocks slipped even as the American S&P 500 moved back into the black for the year, as pound strength acted as a drag ahead of the start of talks this week on the UK's post-Brexit trade relationship.
London close: Stocks fall back as pound gains altitude
London stocks finished lower on Monday, weighed down by the stronger pound as traders pushed it higher ahead of the start of negotiations with Brussels this week on the UK's post-Brexit trade relationship with the European Union.
FX round-up: US president says China and Russia manipulate currency, bolsters pound
Sterling clocked in with broad-based gains ahead of the start of talks between Westminster and Brussels on the UK's post-Brexit trade relationship and ahead of Tuesday's February employment report.
Commodities: Crude oil slips, base metals jump on talk of fresh Russia sanctions
Commodities fell back on Monday as traders took profits after a missile strike on parts of Syria's chemical weapons complex at the weekend passed without any immediate or obvious escalation in tensions.
Results round-up
AIM-listed property fund manager and investor First Property said on Monday that its full-year pre-tax profit for 2018 should be in line with market expectations.
Quiz launches new menswear line
Omni-channel fast-fashion brand Quiz is set to trial a new online product category of menswear.
Europe close: Oil slump, gains for single currency weigh on shares
Stocks on the Continent finished near their session lows, weighed down by a slump in oil prices after the missile strikes against Syria's chemical weapons programme at the weekend failed to spark an escalation in tensions and a stronger euro.
Tuesday preview: UK employment, Fed speakers in focus
The flow of corporate results is set to pick-up on Tuesday, with several FTSE 350 firms due to update investors, including ABF, Rio Tinto and Ashmore Group.
Bank of America sees quarterly earnings move ahead at record pace
Bank of America beat analysts' expectations for the first three months of 2018 on Monday, posting record quarterly earnings on the back of improved revenues from its consumer banking and global wealth and investment management divisions.
Cradle Arc to sell subsidiary or embark on joint-venture after option agreement
Metals explorer Cradle Arc said on Monday that it has entered into an option agreement with Singa Holdings Zambia to establish a joint-venture or offload its subsidiary Luiri Gold Mines.
Broker tips: Sage Group, Whitbread, ASOS, Vedanta Resources
Citi still sees potential in Sage Group despite the surprise profit warning last week, with the bank's conviction unchanged on its belief in the demand for the accounting software firm's products.
Sector movers: Trump comments on Russia hit Evraz, defence firms lifted
Industrial metals & mining was the most depressed sector on Monday, as Russian steel producer Evraz again weighed.
Ripple 'could overtake bitcoin' and convert crypto-sceptics
Ripple could convert remaining cryptocurrency cynics to the blockchain craze due to its increasing uptake by established financial firms, but experts suggest that if bitcoin collapses it could destroy whole digital currency market.
Papua Mining rockets after gold and copper systems identified at Marengo
AIM-traded mining firm Papua Mining on Monday announced that it has defined two intrusions with multiple veins at its Marengo gold project in Queensland through field mapping and rock sampling.
Director dealings: Finsbury Growth and Income Trust director acquires shares
Neil Collins, a non-executive director of UK-focused investment fund Finsbury Growth and Income Trust since 2008, acquired 6,846 ordinary shares in the trust on Monday morning at an average cost of 755. 14p per share.
Vedanta poaches Venkat from AngloGold to be CEO
Vedanta Resources has poached AngloGold Ashanti boss Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan to be new chief executive of the FTSE 250 miner.
Automobile sales boost US retail in March, but in real terms sales were weak
US retail sales rose for the first time in four months in March, boosted by a large increase in automobile purchases, but in real terms were weaker than expected by some economists.
Analysts see value in Whitbread break-up
With 10% of Whitbread shares now in activist investor hands following the emergence of Elliott Advisers, analysts from Credit Suisse, Stifel and Numis offered varying opinions on how much value can come from the breaking-up of the Costa Coffee and Premier Inns owner.
Goldman Sachs downgrades Vedanta as protests embroil smelter
Analysts at Goldman Sachs downgraded Vedanta Resources on Monday, citing concerns regarding the mining firm’s leverage and operational issues.