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Europe close: Stocks hit by late selling following report of new virus cases in Beijing
Stocks on both sides of the Atlantic slumped in the last half hour of trading in Europe following a report in the Chinese press of 36 coronavirus infections among healthcare workers at a Beijing hospital, which triggered concern of a possible outbreak in the country's capital.
US close: Stocks slide as indices fall from record highs
US stocks closed lower on Thursday as indices dropped from the record highs seen at the end of the previous session.
FX round-up: Sterling dips amid reports of virus cases in South Korea and North Korea
Sterling extended the previous day's losses despite a better-than-expected reading for monthly UK retail sales, against a backdrop of US dollar strength as investors sought out safe havens.
London close: Stocks finish slightly weaker amid coronavirus fears
London’s benchmark finished just below the waterline after a choppy session on Thursday, as worries about the coronavirus crept in, although there was some good news in the form of stronger-than-expected retail sales figures.
Director dealings: Columbus Energy chairman makes major share purchase
Columbus Energy Resources revealed on Thursday that chairman Leo Koot had purchased 12. 43m ordinary shares in the AIM-listed crude oil producer.
Broker tips: Meggitt, Travis Perkins, Morgan Sindall
Analysts at Credit Suisse lowered their target price on components and sub-systems manufacturer Meggitt from 550. 0p to 520. 0p on Thursday, citing concerns regarding Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft.
Liberum reiterates 'hold' rating on 'fairly valued' Morgan Sindall
Analysts at Liberum reiterated their 'hold rating on shares of British construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall on Thursday, stating that the shares remained "fairly valued" despite a hike in their estimates for the company's earnings per share.
Google to move UK users' accounts outside EU jurisdiction
Google is planning to move its British users’ accounts out of the jurisdiction of the European Union privacy regulators and set them under US control instead, the company said.
L Brands to offload Victoria's Secret into private company
L Brands has agreed to offload its Victoria's Secret lingerie business into a private company in an attempt to revive the ailing brand.
Friday preview: China coronavirus, Pearson in the spotlight
Financial markets' focus at the end of the week will likely continue to be on the news around the China coronavirus in South Korea and whether any new cases are reported in that country.
Investors place trust in Lloyds' upbeat outlook
Lloyds Banking Group shares rose on Thursday even after the FTSE 100 lender reported falling annual profit and revenue and warned profit margins would shrink this year.
DeepMatter to work with University of Nottingham on 'DigitalGlassware' project
Chemistry digitisation company DeepMatter announced a collaboration with the University of Nottingham's School of Chemistry on Thursday, to explore the benefits of its ‘DigitalGlassware’ platform in data capture and analysis within undergraduate chemistry teaching.
Credit Suisse lowers target price on Meggitt over 737 MAX concerns
Analysts at Credit Suisse lowered their target price on components and sub-systems manufacturer Meggitt from 550. 0p to 520. 0p on Thursday, citing concerns regarding Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft.
EasyHotel acquires site for new hotel in Madrid
Super-budget hotel operator easyHotel has acquired a freehold site in Madrid, it announced on Thursday, where it plans to develop a 230-bedroom site.
Global demand for LNG hit 359m tonnes in 2019 - Shell
Global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) grew by 12. 5% to 359 million tonnes in 2019, according to Shell’s latest annual LNG Outlook published on Wednesday.
Advanced Oncotherapy reaches deal with Birmingham NHS trust
Proton therapy developer Advanced Oncotherapy has reached agreement with University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), the acute service provider delivering general hospital services for Birmingham and specialist treatments for the West Midlands and nationally, to install a ‘LIGHT’ system, it announced on Thursday.
Immotion agrees another 68 VR headset installations
Virtual reality (VR) experience operator Immotion Group announced on Thursday that, in the past week, it had signed contracts for 68 headsets at 11 sites, including its first outdoor enclosure of eight headsets at Roger Williams Zoo in Rhode Island, the United States.
US open: Flat start to trading following some positive data
US stocks opened broadly flat on Thursday after indices closed at record highs in the previous session.
FTSE 100 movers: S&N rallies on results; Meggitt hit by broker note
London’s FTSE 100 was flat at 7,457. 19 in afternoon trade on Thursday as investors weighed better-than-expected retail sales data against ongoing concerns about the coronavirus.
FTSE 250 movers: Moneysupermarket extends rally, Hochschild tracks seven-year high in gold
Shareholders in Moneysupermarket. com were 'in the money' on Thursday after the price comparison website said that its full-year pre-tax profit rose to £116m from £106. 9m in 2018, thanks to strong showings from both its home services and insurance units.