Market Pulse
Asia close: Vietnam paces gains in bumper year for region
Asian stocks finished a stellar year on Friday, that saw them eclipse gains in the States and on the Continent, on a mixed note.
Provexis interim revenues flat but losses widen
Provexis, the developer of a food additive to improve heart health, reported a larger loss for the first half of its financial year.
Metal Tiger elaborates on Thai plans for Kingsgate
London-listed Metal Tiger said it has begun talks with the Thai government and potential new backers as it continued its dispute with Australian gold miner Kingsgate Consolidated ahead of a shareholder meeting in Sydney on 9 January.
US open: Dow and S&P 500 hover near record highs on final trading day of 2017
US stocks were little changed in early trade in the final session of the year, although the Dow and the S&P 500 were hovering near record highs in holiday-thinned volumes.
London close: Stocks end 2017 with a bang as FTSE hits fresh high
London stocks ended the year with a bang on Friday, pushing up to a fresh closing high, having risen around 8% since the start of 2017.
US pre-open: Stocks on course to hit fresh records on last trading day of 2017
US stocks looked set to hit fresh records on the last trading day of the year, with volumes likely to be extremely light.
Europe midday: Rise in single currency weighs on shares, FTSE Mibtel underperforms
European stocks are holding slightly lower on the last day of trading in 2017 as the bloc heads for its best stock market performance in four years, with another push higher for the single currency offsetting strength in miners and related stocks.
UK M&A market remain stable in 2017 as domestic deals mushroom
UK mergers and acquisitions shrank slightly in 2017, though the number of domestic deals rose to a nine-year high with a total value that almost doubled year-on-year to £51bn as companies prepared for the post-Brexit unknown.
Balfour Beatty cuts debt by selling another stake in M25 operator
Balfour Beatty said it will pay down debt and its full year results will be higher than recently guided after it sold off another chunk of its stake in Connect Plus, the company which operates the M25 orbital motorway.
UK high streets enjoy bumper Christmas week as crucial updates eyed
Shopping in the week before Christmas was better for high street retailers than in the same period last year, according to data released on Friday.
Glencore sells 51% of petroleum storage, logistics business
Glencore has completed the sale of a 51% stake of its petroleum products storage and logistics business for $579m cash, rising to $775m later in the new year once certain assets have been transferred into the new operating company.
Windar Photonics chairman steps down, announces new order
AIM-listed technology group Windar Photonics said on Friday that John P. Weston has stepped down from the position of chairman with immediate effect, as it announced that it has received an order for 5 WindVision LiDAR systems from an existing Chinese distribution partner for delivery as soon as possible.
London open: Stocks build on recent highs in quiet trade
London stocks edged a little higher early on Friday on the last trading day of the year - a half day - building on the fresh records seen this week amid low volumes, with little in the way of corporate news and no economic data to provide any momentum.
Europe open: Stocks on track for best year since 2013
European stocks were flattish after almost an hour on the last day of trading in 2017 as the bloc heads for its best stock market performance in four years.
Friday newspaper round-up: UK wages, lack of staff, RBS, Thomas Cook
Britain is set to have the worst wage growth of any wealthy nation next year, ranking behind Italy, Greece and Hungary, according to analysis by the TUC. The UK is forecast to come bottom from 32 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development wealthy nations for wage performance in 2018, according to the study of OECD figures by the unions’ umbrella group. - Guardian.
Wizz Air finalises Airbus order
Low-cost airline Wizz Air has completed and signed documentation with Airbus which, amongst other things, provides for the purchase of 146 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft.
London pre-open: Stocks to nudge up on last trading day of 2017
London stocks were expected to open a little firmer on the last trading day of 2017, although volumes are set to be very light as we head into the new year, with no data releases of note due and corporate news thin on the ground.