Market Pulse
Majestic Wine delivers mixed full-year results, cash flows drop
Majestic Wine delivered a mixed set of results as it continued to progress on it turn-around plan but kept its dividend steady in a show of confidence about the future.
US close: Markets end in the red as dollar strengthens
Wall Street's main market gauges continued to pull back on Thursday, with a stronger dollar in the wake of Wednesday's Fed policy decision taking its toll on commodity-related stocks alongside renewed falls in the largest big-cap tech names, the so-called FANG contingent.
FX round-up: More hawkish BoE sees sterling shoved higher
Sterling got a firm shove higher thanks to a more-hawkish-than expected leaning by Bank of England's policy makers in holding the benchmark rate and QE unchanged.
Friday preview: Loss of confidence in Tesco ahead of Q1 update
After busy week, Friday sees a quieter day on the UK business calendar, with a Tesco trading statement the highlight for investors, while a Bank of Japan announcement and eurozone inflation data will keep macro wonks interested as the fallout from UK and US central banks continues to be digested.
Commodities: Gold, silver decline as UK, US central banks set hawkish tones
Precious metals gold and silver went for a run south on Thursday with each hitting multi-week lows as markets mulled more hawkish stances from the Bank of England and US Federal Reserve.
US open: Stronger dollar takes its toll
Wall Street's main market gauges continued to pull back, with a stronger dollar in the wake of Wednesday's Fed policy decision taking its toll on commodity-related stocks alongside renewed falls in the largest big-cap tech names, the so-called FANG contingent.
Echo Energy sells Egypt business
Echo Energy issued an update to the market on Thursday, saying that further to its announcement on 18 April, and consistent with its strategy to build a Latin America exploration business, it could confirm that it had now sold its legacy Egyptian business.
Starcom signs supply and support deal with Shiptek
Wireless remote tracking and monitoring solutions developer Starcom announced on Thursday that that it had entered into a three year supply and support agreement with Shiptek Solutions Corporation - a Philippine software company - for the supply of its 'Tetis R' container tracking system.
FTSE 250 movers: Petrofac gushes higher on upgrade; Restaurant Group goes ex-div
London's FTSE 250 was down 2. 4% to 19,495. 21 after the Bank of England stood pat on rates as expected but with a 5-3 split in the voting.
Bushveld subsidiary acquires minority interest in Uis tin project
Vanadium producing company Bushveld Minerals, announced on Thursday that, further to the announcement it made on 4 April, all the conditions precedent to the agreement entered into to by its wholly owned subsidiary Greenhills Resources to acquire a 49. 5% interest in Dawnmin Africa Investments from a consortium of Namibian shareholders had now been fulfilled, and accordingly the acquisition had completed.
CyanConnode receives $5m order from Bangladesh
Narrowband radio mesh network provider CyanConnode announced on Thursday that the $5. 4m purchase order from an unnamed specialist in energy management systems for a smart metering contract in Bangladesh, initially announced on 9 February, had now been increased to $9. 3m.
FTSE 100 movers: Persimmon goes ex-div; retailers take a hit
London's FTSE 100 was down 1% to 7,400. 03 in afternoon trade as investors digested the latest rate announcement from the Bank of England.
Diurnal doses first patient in US Infacort study
Specialty pharmaceutical company Diurnal Group announced on Thursday that it had successfully dosed the first patient in a food matrix compatibility study for its ‘Infacort’ product in healthy volunteers.
OptiBiotix enters three year deal with HLH BioPharma
Life sciences compound developer OptiBiotix Health announced on Thursday that it had entered into a three-year supply agreement with HLH BioPharma Vertriebs, covering the supply of its ‘LPLDL’ capsules.
Clear Leisure confident despite winding-up request on subsidiary
Clear Leisure updated the market on Thursday, confirming it had been informed that the court prosecutor of Ivrea in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Italy, had filed a winding-up request on Mediapolis.
US industrial output slips in May, but economists sanguine
Industrial production in the States undershot market forecasts in May, on the back of weakness in factory and utilities output.
InterQuest to adopt more prudent dividend policy
AIM-listed recruitment business InterQuest Group said on Thursday that it will adopt a more prudent policy on dividend payments following weaker trading in recent months.
Reliance Industries, BP progress on developing gas fields offshore India
BP and Reliance Industries announced they were taking the next step to develop the massive natural gas fields offshore eastern India.
Hammond pulls out of Mansion House speech, citing Grenfell Tower tragedy
Chancellor Philip Hammond has pulled out of giving his annual Mansion House speech in the City of London on Thursday evening, after the Grenfell Tower fire.
US import prices fall more quickly than expected in May
Import prices Stateside fell more than expected last month amid a large drag from declining fuel import costs.