Market Report
Europe close: Investors cautious ahead of Trump inauguration
European stocks were little changed on Friday, as investors bided their time ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration, with basic resources in the red following uninspiring Chinese growth figures.
Directors dealings: Supergroup founder Dunkerton pares stake
Supergroup founder Julian Dunkerton sold a hefty amount of shares in the £1. 25bn market cap fashion retailer, even as its shares continued to trade near their record highs.
FX roundup: Sterling ekes out mild gains as Trump inaugurated as US president
Sterling eked out mild gains against most major currencies, barring the euro, as global markets turned their attentions to the inauguration of Donald Trump, now US president.
Sector movers: BT, Smurfit Kappa move higher after hiking prices
Cyclicals led gains, spearheaded by oil service and general industrial issues, alongside an advance in stock of BT Group after the UK telecoms incumbent let it be known it would be raising prices for its broadband and landline services.
London close: Stocks end session lower as Trump sworn in as US President
The FTSE 100 ended Friday’s session a touch lower as traders awaited the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th US President.
Week ahead: New US adminsitration´s first policies in the spotlight
Markets´ focus during the coming week would likely be on the new US president´s first days in office, with some reports indicating that he might be set to move quickly from the 'get-go', with a possible renegotiation of some aspects of the NAFTA treaty likely high on the agenda.
Seeing Machines raises £1.4m in Australian and overseas offer
Technology company Seeing Machines announced on Friday that, further to its announcement on 13 December, valid acceptances of the Australian and overseas offers had been received in respect of £1. 4m, through the issue of 35,695,382 new ordinary shares at a price of 4p apiece.
Procter & Gamble beats on Q2 earnings report after shedding unprofitable brands
Procter & Gamble, the US company behind brands such as Head and Shoulders shampoo and Gillette shaving equipment, reported better-than-expected quarterly net income and revenue on Friday.
US open: Markets little changed as Trump era dawns
As the Trump era dawns US equity markets were little changed on Friday, with investors holding back from making big deals as they watched the inauguration of the country’s 45th president.
HSBC said to cut 100 senior jobs in investment banking
HSBC has reportedly begun cutting around 100 senior jobs this week in its investment banking division worldwide.
Brexit, Trump victory did not discourage European IPOs, says Mergermarket
The Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s surprise US election victory did not discourage initial public offerings in Europe for long, according to analysts at Mergermarket, as several large companies floated in 2016.
Elecosoft anticipating bumper profit for 2016
Elecosoft posted a trading statement for the year to 31 December on Friday, claiming that based on unaudited management accounts, the board expects profit before tax will be significantly ahead of market expectations.
FTSE 250 movers: Synthomer surges on update; AA skids on Liberum note
London’s FTSE 250 was down 0. 3% to 18,162. 95 in afternoon trade as investors on both sides of the pond looked to the inauguration of Donald Trump.
FTSE 100 movers: Smurfit Kappa gains on price hike; supermarkets drop
London’s FTSE 100 was down 0. 1% to 7,198. 26 in afternoon trade as investors awaited the inauguration of Donald Trump across the pond.
General Electric earnings and revenue fall year-on-year
Industrial giant General Electric saw a fall in profits and revenue during the final quarter of 2016, but reached analysts' expectations for its earnings per share.
Golden Saint makes good progress at Baja and Tongo
West Africa-focused diamond and gold exploration company Golden Saint Resources provided the market with operational updates on Friday, relating to two of its exploration licence areas in Sierra Leone - Baja and Tongo.
FX round-up: Cable edges higher despite strong US data
Cable gained ground on Thursday despite the release of upbeat economic data Stateside and support for a long-term strong dollar policy from Trump´s candidate to head the US Treasury.
Character Group warns H1 results will be lower, but remains confident for the full year
Toy company Character Group, which brands include Peppa Pig, Fireman Sam and Scooby Doo, warned that results for the first of 2017 would be lower than last year due to steps taken to act against the low gross margin after the fall in sterling, while it is also developing a range of new products.
Tracsis issues 24k shares to employees
Tracsis confirmed on Friday that, following the receipt of a notice of exercise of employee options, it has issued 24,428 ordinary shares of 0. 4p each.
China GDP accelerates sharply in Q4, official data questioned
China´s economic expansion accelerated slightly at the end of 2016, official government data revealed, but more timely figures for December appeared to point to a slowdown in activity, in part as the fiscal stimulus put in place by the authorities faded, economists said.