Market Pulse
US close: Stocks close lower amidst slew of mixed data
US stocks closed lower on Thursday as investors thumbed through some mixed data and awaited fresh headlines coming from the trade talks between senior US and Chinese officials.
FTSE 100 movers: RELX hits five-year high, Centrica at five-year low
RELX topped the leaderboard for the top flight index on Thursday after the information and analytics group reported continued underlying growth in revenue, operating profits and earnings in its final results, with the former ahead by 4% for a full-year reported total of £7. 49bn.
Commodities: China shows appetite for corn and wheat, US oil output hits record 12.0m b/d
Commodity prices were little changed as traders waited on fresh news out of trade talks in Washington for direction, despite the release of some weak economic data in the States and alongside figures showing record domestic US oil output.
Weekly US oil inventories jump amid record domestic output, DoE says
Weekly US crude oil stockpiles jumped over the latest reference period, as domestic output hit a fresh record and refinery inputs decreased.
Europe close: Stocks steady amid weak data as ECB minutes reveal 'dovish' bias
Stocks on the Continent finished the session on a mixed note as investors digest a mixed bag of economic data, although otherwise the news-flow, especially from overseas, appeared to be supportive.
Argos Resources storms upward after Falkland licence secured
Argos Resources stormed upward on Thursday after it confirmed it has taken full ownership of the PL001 Licence in the North Falkland Basin.
Director dealings: Chemring CEO ups stake
Chemring chief executive Michael Ord purchased 50,000 ordinary shares in the London-listed aerospace, defence and security outfit on Thursday.
Broker tips: Sainsbury's, Whitbread, Petra Diamonds
Analysts at Berenberg downgraded their stance on Sainsbury from 'buy' to 'hold' on Thursday, stating that the supermarket's merger with Asda is now "unlikely" following the publication of provisional findings by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.
OptiBiotix up as LPLDL gets 'safe' status in US
Life sciences firm OptiBiotix Health confirmed on Thursday that its wholly-owned subsidiary ProBiotix Health has had its cholesterol and blood pressure reducing ‘Lactobacillus plantarum LPLDL’ probiotic strain determined as ‘Generally Recognized As Safe’ (GRAS) by an independent expert GRAS panel in the United States.
US open: Losses at the bell as mixed data streams in
Wall Street trading kicked off with some losses on Thursday as investors thumbed through a spate of high-frequency economic indicators and awaited fresh headlines coming from the trade talks between senior US and Chinese officials which were about to kick-off.
Tertiary Minerals stakes claim at Paymaster, makes progress at MB
Tertiary Minerals has staked claim to the Paymaster zinc-copper-silver-cobalt-tellurium prospect in Nevada on Thursday.
Orosur Mining ropes in Victor Hugo as its new finance chief
South America-focussed gold developer and explorer Orosur Mining announced the appointment of Victor Hugo as its new chief financial officer on Thursday.
US existing home sales dip in January, but NAR sees cycle low
Existing home sales in the States dipped at the start of 2019, plumbing their lowest level since November 2015, although some economists believed that a cycle low might now be in place.
Food prices could soar 40% in 'no-deal' Brexit, UK, Irish retailers warn
UK and Irish retailers on Thursday warned that food products such as beef or cheddar cheese could be subject to 40% tariffs or more if the UK were to apply World Trade Organization rates on trade after a no-deal Brexit.
Berenberg cuts Sainsbury's to 'hold' as ASDA merger 'unlikely'
Analysts at Berenberg downgraded their stance on Sainsbury from 'buy' to 'hold' on Thursday, stating that the supermarket's merger with Asda is now "unlikely" following the publication of provisional findings by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.
Arbuthnot profits in line with expectations
Private bank Arbuthnot continued to make "good progress" in the fourth quarter of its trading year, leading the group to expect an underlying full-year pre-tax profit in line with market expectations.
US pre-open: Stocks set for lower start ahead of trade talks, data deluge
Futures are pointing to a slightly lower start to the trading day on Wall Street as investors wait on a spate of high-frequency economic indicators, even as they scan their screens for any fresh headlines relating to the start of trade talks between senior US and Chinese officials.
UK public finances see record surplus in January
Britain's public accounts enjoyed a record surplus at the start of 2019, which economists said would likely allow the Chancellor to provide another modest fiscal boost to the economy.
Shore Capital strips Whitbread of long-standing 'buy' rating
Analysts at Shore Capital cut their long-standing 'buy' rating on Premier Inn operator Whitbread to 'hold' on Thursday, stating the firm's re-rating since its disposal of Costa appeared to be complete.
Philly Fed index surprises to the downside in February
A key gauge of US factory sector activity surprised sharply to the downside in February, although some economists believed the sudden bout of weakness would be short-lived, attributing it to the partial federal government shutdown at the turn of the year and concerns, since allayed, of a repeat.