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Best to wait for more data on Omicron before hiking Bank Rate, BoE's Saunders says
One of the most hawkish top Bank of England officials said at the end of the week that it might be best to wait for more information on the implications of the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, before hiking short-term interest rates.
Iomart agrees refinancing to fund working capital and investments
Cloud computing company Iomart has agreed a refinancing, it announced on Friday, replacing its single bank revolving credit facility of £80m that was due to mature on 30 September 2022 with a new £100m revolving credit facility.
Origo Partners puts Moly World stake up for auction
Origo Partners announced on Friday that it was putting up for auction its entire interest in Moly World - an unlisted British Virgin Islands-domiciled company that owns rights to mine molybdenum in Mongolia.
US pre-open: Futures slightly lower ahead of November NFP report
Wall Street futures had stocks opening slightly lower ahead of the bell on Friday as market participants awaited the release of November's non-farm payrolls report later in the day.
Alba Mineral Resources upbeat on GreenRoc assay results
Alba Mineral Resources updated the market on its portfolio company GreenRoc Mining on Friday, in which it holds a 54% majority interest.
London midday: FTSE pares gains as caution sets in ahead of payrolls
London stocks had pared gains by midday on Friday, with traders no doubt kicking their feet up with a Deliveroo and indulging in a Netflix binge, sticking to the sidelines as tends to be the case ahead of the latest US non-farm payrolls report.
3i Infrastructure buys AMP Capital out of offshore service firm Esvagt
3i Infrastructure has agreed to acquire the stake in Esvagt owned by its co-investor AMP Capital, it announced on Friday, resulting in it holding 100% of Esvagt.
Europe midday: Shares flat on EZ PMIs as traders wait on US payroll data
European shares were flat midday on Friday as a key survey showed business sentiment waning on fears of the Omicron Covid variant.
Euro area retail sales rise as expected in October, but slowdown evident
The volume of retail sales in the euro area increased roughly as expected in October, amid a shift back towards online sales.
UK govt failed to apply anti-fraud checks on Covid loans - NAO
UK taxpayers face billions of pounds of losses after the government failed to implement anti-fraud measures on its £47bn small business Covid emergency loan programme, a watchdog said on Friday.
Bitcoin and cryptos embark on consolidation as trading volume declines
Friday marks another day of consolidation for the cryptocurrency market, with major tokens extending their rest after last week's market swings. The arrival of December imbues calm in the digital asset market, as Bitcoin is firmly anchored in a short-term range between $56,000 and $59,000, while support and resistance remain at $55,500 and $60,000, respectively.
Mind Gym turns modest pre-tax profit as revenues surge in H1
Behavioral sciences firm MindGym said on Friday that it had broken even on a statutory basis and turned a modest pre-tax profit in the first half of the trading year on the back of improved revenues throughout the period.
Nationwide appoints TSB's Debbie Crosbie as CEO
Nationwide Building Society has appointed Debbie Crosbie, currently the chief executive of TSB, as its next CEO and executive director.
Asia report: Most markets rise, Chinese tech weaker on Didi news
Stock markets were mostly higher in Asia on Friday, with Chinese tech plays in focus in Hong Kong after ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing announced plans to delist from the New York Stock Exchange.
Eurozone Nov PMI rise could be short-lived as Omicron threatens - IHS Markit
Eurozone business activity picked up the pace in November but the acceleration could be short lived as the Omicron coronavirus variant and intensifying cost pressures knocked sentiment, according to a survey released on Friday.
UK service sector growth remains strong in November
Growth in the UK services sector eased a touch in November but remained strong amid the fastest rise in new business intake in five months, according to a survey released on Friday.
Didi planning to delist US shares in move to Hong Kong
China-based ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing is planning to delist its shares from the New York Stock Exchange, it said on Friday, as part of a move to Hong Kong.
Deutsche Bank upgrades BP to 'buy', raises Brent oil price forecast
Analysts at Deutsche Bank upgraded their recommendation for shares of BP from 'hold' to 'buy' and raised their target price for its shares after revising their Brent oil price forecast for 2022 higher by 18% to $75 a barrel.
FTC takes legal action to block Nvidia's takeover of Arm
The US Federal Trade Commission has taken legal action to block chipmaker Nvidia's proposed $40. 0bn takeover of Cambridge-based chip designer Arm, citing competition concerns.
Greenroc confirms 'high-grade nature' of Amitsoq Island deposit
Mineral mining firm Greenroc said on Friday that it had confirmed the "high-grade nature" of its Amitsoq Island deposit as it revealed graphite layers were both thicker and more consistent than previously thought.