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Wednesday preview: Services PMIs, Legal and General in the spotlight
Financial markets' focus on Wednesday will shift to services sector activity around the world with survey readings for July due out in the UK, euro area and US.
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.
Europe close: Stocks rise as investors keep tabs on US stimulus talks, Covid-19 outbreaks
Stock markets across the Continent finished mostly higher on Tuesday as investors kept tabs on the ongoing haggling on Capitol Hill around a proposed fourth round of fiscal stimulus spending in the US.
Enormous blast rocks Beirut
An enormous blast rocked all of Beirut shortly before 1700 BST with initial reports citing official sources saying that it was the result of an accidental fire at a fireworks depot. 3rd video from another angle. Initial reports that explosion occurred due to accidental fire break in fireworks cache #Lebanon #Beirutpic. twitter. com/1WnCO6N0HI — Hemat (@Himat75) August 4, 2020 WATCH: Aftermath of Beirut's massive explosion. Many feared dead pic. twitter. com/55siEnzLSU — BNO News (@BNONews) August 4, 2020.
Broker tips: Spire Healthcare, BT, Beeks Financial Cloud
Liberum upgraded its rating on Spire Healthcare to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ on Tuesday, saying that while Covid-19 has effectively put the business "in deep freeze for 2020", the private hospital operator is set to benefit from a surge in NHS waiting lists.
Director dealings: Easyjet deputy chairman picks up shares
Easyjet's deputy chairman, Charles Gurassa, picked up a large batch of shares in the budget carrier on the same day as the company's latest trading statement.
Cannacord stays at 'buy' on Beeks Financial Cloud
Analysts at Canaccord Genuity reiterated their 'buy' recommendation for Beeks Financial Cloud following the company's pre-close trading update.
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.
US open: Tech stocks and gold set fresh highs
Wall Streets main stock market gauges were edging higher in early trading, buoyed by reports of possible further fiscal stimulus in the pipeline and some positive news on the pandemic front.
FTSE 250 movers: EasyJet flies higher; Babcock slumps
London’s FTSE 250 was up 0. 8% at 17,302. 31 in afternoon trade on Tuesday.
US factory orders grow more quickly than expected in June
Factory orders in the US grew more quickly than expected last month.
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.
FTSE 100 movers: Diageo loses its fizz on results; Melrose rallies
London’s FTSE 100 was flat at 6,035. 23 in afternoon trade on Tuesday.
EasyJet expands flight schedule as Q4 loss set to narrow
EasyJet said on Tuesday that it expects to report a smaller loss for the fourth quarter of the year, as it expands its flight schedule amid stronger-than-expected summer bookings, after taking a hit from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Trump says govt should get slice of any Microsoft-TikTok deal
The US government should get a cut from any sale of TikTok to Microsoft, President Donald Trump said, as the video-sharing social media app became embroiled in the China-US geopolitical spat.
Liberum ups Spire Healthcare to 'buy'
Liberum upgraded its rating on Spire Healthcare to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ on Tuesday, saying that while Covid-19 has effectively put the business "in deep freeze for 2020", the private hospital operator is set to benefit from a surge in NHS waiting lists.
Europe midday: Stocks dip as investors keep an eye on Capitol Hill, Covid-19 outbreaks
Stock markets across the Continent had moved slightly lower by midday as investors eyed the ongoing haggling on Capitol Hill around a proposed fourth round of fiscal stimulus spending.