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James Halstead revenue rises, profits dip
Commercial flooring specialist James Halstead reported first-half revenue of £149. 6m on Friday, up from £136. 7m year-on-year.
Cerillion signs new £10m contract with existing client
Billing and customer relationship management software company Cerillion announced a £10m contract with an existing telecommunications customer in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) geography on Friday.
Wowcher under investigation by CMA over pressure selling
Britain's competition watchdog has launched an investigation into whether consumer deals website Wowcher has been using unfair pressure tactics on customers using methods such as countdown timers.
Capita computer systems crash amid fears of potential cyber attack
Outsourcing group Capita revealed on Friday that computer systems had come to an abrupt halt, set off fears it could potentially be under cyber-attack.
MJ Hudson delays interim results as 2022 audit issues continue
Financial service provider MJ Hudson announced on Friday that it would not be able to release its interim results for the six months ended 31 December by the deadline of 31 March.
High Court upholds sale of collapsed Bulb to Octopus Energy
The UK government’s decision to sell failed energy firm Bulb to Octopus Energy was upheld by the High Court on Friday, after challenges were brought by Centrica’s British Gas, E. ON, and Scottish Power.
US pre-open: Futures trade higher ahead of PCE data
Wall Street futures pointed to a generally positive open ahead of the opening bell of what will be the final session of Q1.
Europe midday: Shares extend gains on EZ CPI data, eye on US consumption
European shares extended gains on the final day of the year’s first quarter as investors eyed crucial personal consumption numbers in the US later in the afternoon and also mulled eurozone inflation data showing a slight easing.
UK Q4 GDP revised up, recession avoided
The UK economy grew a touch in the final quarter of last year, according to figures released on Friday by the Office for National Statistics, meaning a recession was avoided in the second half.
London midday: Stocks up but gains muted ahead of US inflation data
London stocks were still higher by midday on Friday following an upward revision to UK GDP figures, but gains were unspectacular as investors looked ahead to key US inflation data.
Vanquis proposes dividend as profits exceed expectations
Vanquis Banking Group reported a strong performance in its preliminary results on Friday, with solid loan book growth in each of its businesses, despite a challenging macroeconomic backdrop.
Emis tumbles as CMA launches in-depth probe of UnitedHealth takeover
Healthcare software developer Emis Group tumbled on Friday after the Competition and Markets Authority said it was launching an in-depth investigation into its £1. 24bn proposed takeover by UnitedHealth Group.
Bitcoin holds on to $28,000 as regulation continues to worry investors
Cryptocurrencies are trading mixed on Friday. Bitcoin (BTC) has dropped 2. 59% over the past 24 hours, but remains manages to hold on to $28,000 ($27,790), while Ethereum (ETH) has risen 0. 48% to $1,789.
Berenberg hikes target price on Travis Perkins
Analysts at Berenberg hiked their target price on builders' merchant Travis Perkins from 890. 0p to 1,000. 0p on Friday but said "strong headwinds" still dominated.
Profits fall at Dignity as market needs shift
Funeral and end-of-life service provider Dignity reported a 0. 1% increase in market share in its preliminary results on Friday, to 11. 9% in funeral services, and a 0. 5% increase to 11. 8% in cremation.
Virgin Orbit ceases operations after failing to secure funding
Aircraft engineering company Virgin Orbit will cease operating "for the foreseeable future" after it fell short of locking in a funding lifeline.
Inchcape to buy Mercedes-Benz Indonesian business with local partner
Inchcape said on Friday that it has agreed to buy Mercedes-Benz's Indonesian business with its local partner, Indomobil, for an undisclosed sum.
Eurozone inflation eases in March as energy prices fall
Eurozone inflation eased more than expected in March as energy prices fell, but underlying inflation edged up, according to a flash estimate released on Friday by Eurostat.
Jefferies upgrades Spire Healthcare to 'buy'
Jefferies upgraded Spire Healthcare on Friday to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ and lifted the price target to 250p from 240p, arguing that the market is underappreciating the company’s growth opportunity.
Asia report: Stocks rise on solid data from China, Japan
Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region closed higher on Friday, as banking concerns continued to fade and the technology sector received a boost on Wall Street overnight.