Latest News
Christie Group trading well, expects strong first half
Professional services provider Christie Group said on Wednesday that the recovery that first emerged in the second half of its 2020 financial year had continued, as it traded in line with market expectations.
US pre-open: Traders jittery ahead of Fed decision, 'dot plot' in focus
US stock market futures are little changed ahead of the result of the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting later on Wednesday, as traders try to anticipate if anything will really change.
Asia report: Markets mixed after slew of China, Japan data
Stock markets in Asia closed mixed on Wednesday, as investors digested a slew of economic data out of the region, and looked ahead to the outcome of the two-day Federal Reserve meeting in the US later in the global day.
ScS ups forecasts as orders surge post lockdown
Shares in ScS Group rallied on Wednesday, after the furniture and flooring retailer upped its full-years forecasts and reinstated the dividend.
Marlowe buys employment law compliance specialist in £2.25m deal
Marlowe has bought employment law compliance specialist Cater Leydon Millard for an enterprise value of £2. 25m.
Ifo Institute cuts German growth forecasts for 2021
Germany’s Ifo Institute has cut its growth forecasts for the country this year, citing supply bottlenecks in manufacturing.
Volvo aims to build cars with fossil-free steel by 2026
Swedish steelmaker SSAB said on Wednesday it had agreed with Volvo Cars to start a joint-venture to explore the development of fossil-free steel to use in the automotive industry.
Creo upbeat on first in-human use of MicroBlate Fine
Medical device company Creo Medical Group updated the market on its 510(k) US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared tissue ablation device, ‘MicroBlate Fine’ on Wednesday, reporting that the device was successfully used for the first in-human, minimally invasive, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided treatment in a patient with an unresectable pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour.
St. Modwen and Blackstone granted deadline extension for takeover documents
St. Modwen Properties confirmed on Wednesday that an extension to certain steps of its takeover by Blackstone had been granted, as a scheme document for shareholders was finalised.
Tullow Oil makes positive operational progress
Tullow Oil reported positive operational progress in an update on Wednesday, with group production to the end of May averaging around 62,000 barrels of oil per day, in line with expectations.
Apax fund to acquire majority of software firm CyberGrants
Apax Global Alpha said on Wednesday that the Apax X fund, in which it is a limited partner, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority ownership stake in CyberGrants.
Europe open: Shares up as investors eye Fed for view on inflation
European shares were just below record highs at the opening on Wednesday, as investors were still waiting to see if the US Federal Reserve was starting to think about tapering asset purchases.
London open: Stocks rise as inflation jumps past BoE target
London stocks rose in early trade on Wednesday as investors digested news that inflation jumped past the Bank of England’s 2% target in May for the first time in nearly two years.
N Brown says Allianz seeking additional £36m in court claim
N Brown said on Wednesday that Allianz Insurance is claiming up to an additional £36m in compensation in a claim against one of its subsidiaries, JD Williams.
UK inflation rises to 2.1% in May, pushes past BoE target
UK inflation has jumped past the Bank of England’s target for the first time in nearly two years as more businesses reopened after Covid restrictions were eased, according to figures released on Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics.
Hipgnosis in £150m placing to fund new catalogue purchases
Music rights buyer Hipgnosis said it planned to raise £150m in a share placing to fund what it called a “substantial” pipeline of songs.
London pre-open: Stocks to edge up as investors digest inflation data
London stocks were set to edge up at the open on Wednesday as investors digest the latest UK inflation data.
Oxford Instruments buys Germant's WITec, Apax funds acquiring majority of CyberGrants
London open The FTSE 100 is expected to open 14 points higher on Wednesday, having closed up 0. 36% on Tuesday at 7,172. 48.
Wednesday newspaper round-up: Morgan Stanley, rail chiefs, pension triple lock
Less than half of the 260 smaller companies listed on the London Stock Exchange’s main index have met the target of having a third of their board roles occupied by women, and more than half still have all-male executive leadership teams. The campaign group Women on Boards UK has analysed all firms below the FTSE 350 All-Share index, and identified what it calls a “permafrost” of smaller businesses below the top layer that have been slow in taking steps to diversify.
Oxfords Instruments to buy Germany's WITec for up to €45m
Scientific equipment maker Oxford Instruments said it had bought Germany’s Wissenschaftliche Instrumente und Technologie (WITec) for up to €42m.