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US close: Stocks end the week with losses as weak Chinese data weighs on sentiment
Stocks closed lower on Friday as investors reacted to economic data out of China and tensions between the US and Iran following an attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman a day earlier.
Week ahead: Federal Reserve and Bank of England in focus
The market spotlight over the coming week will fall squarely on the world's main central banks, with policymakers at the Federal Reserve, Bank of England and Bank of Japan all due to meet to decide on policy.
Europe close: Stocks slip on geopolitical concerns
Stocks finished the week on a down note, weighed down by a spate of mixed readings on the Chinese economy for the month of May and amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf.
Kier said to be preparing to sell housebuilding unit
Kier Group is preparing to sell its housebuilding business to ease pressure on the contractor's finances, The Times reported.
Broker tips: AO World, 3i, Ferguson, Tyman
Shore Capital upgraded its stance on AO World to 'hold' from 'sell' on Friday following recent share price declines.
London close: Stocks stay red as sentiment takes a dive
London stocks staged a partial recovery during the afternoon, but remained in the red at the close on Friday, as weak Chinese data and Middle East tensions weighed on sentiment.
Canaccord lowers Tyman to 'hold' following US macro uncertainties
Analysts at Canaccord Genuity downgraded their recommendation for shares of engineer Tyman to 'hold' from their previous 'buy' rating, cutting their target price on the homebuilding products firm's shares to 265p from 300p after revising its estimates lower on the back of macro uncertainties.
FTSE 250 movers: Kier crumbles, gold miners glimmer
London's FTSE 250 was 0. 31% lower at 19,112. 00 in afternoon trading on Friday, with the index led lower by shares in Kier Group.
Berenberg cuts Ferguson to 'hold' amid US slowdown
Analysts at Berenberg downgraded their rating for Ferguson shares from 'buy' to 'hold' on Friday amid concern over a slowdown in US construction activity outside of the residential sector and in the Canadian housing market, following years of "exceptional" growth, adding that it would take time for the effects of Trian's stake building in its capital to make themselves felt.
Facebook hires Standard Chartered executive ahead of crypto launch
Facebook has hired a senior Standard Chartered executive, Ed Bowles, ahead of the expected launch of its very own cryptocurrency and financial services business.
Director dealings: SolGold CEO's foundation sells shares
SolGold revealed on Friday that The Mather Foundation, a philanthropic auxiliary foundation trust fund of which its chief executive Nicholas Mather was a director, had disposed of 400,000 ordinary shares in the London-listed miner.
UK businesses should speed up no-deal Brexit preparations - IoD warns
UK businesses cannot afford to put their faith in politicians to produce a Brexit resolution so they should ramp up their preparations for a no-deal Brexit, warned the Institute of Directors on Friday.
US open: Stocks head south following weak data out of China
Wall Street trading began with losses on Friday as investors reacted to economic data out of China and tensions between the US and Iran following an attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman a day earlier.
Hutchison Chi-Med makes progress with surufatinib
Hutchison China MediTech, trading as Chi-Med, announced on Friday that the independent data monitoring committee (IDMC) of the phase 3 pivotal study of ‘surufatinib’ in advanced neuroendocrine tumors - extra-pancreatic (SANET-ep) had completed a planned interim analysis.
FTSE 100 movers: Fresnillo shines as investors shun risk; ITV drops
London's FTSE 100 was down 0. 3% at 7,349. 28 in afternoon trade on Friday, with Middle East tensions and weak Chinese data weighing on sentiment.
ReNeuron wins 'Breakthrough of the Year' at European Mediscience Awards
Cell-based therapeutics developer ReNeuron Group has won the 'Breakthrough of the Year' award at the 2019 European Mediscience Awards, it announced on Friday.
US consumers' inflation expectations hit 40-year low in May, UofM says
Americans' outlook on the economy didn't worsen by as much as had been expected in June, according to the results of a closely-followed survey, but their expectations for inflation dropped to a four-decade low.
Rouble strengthens after Russian central bank cuts rates, as expected
Russia's central bank took back its late 2018 pre-emptive interest rate hike as it revised its near-term forecasts for inflation and economic growth lower, leaving the door open to a another rate cut at one its next board meetings and a possible shift to a "neutral" policy before mid-2020.
Stanley Gibbons agrees resolution with former Mallett directors
Stanley Gibbons Group announced on Friday that its ongoing dispute involving some ex-directors of Mallett had reached a final conclusion.