Market Report
Tuesday broker round-up
Weir Group: JPMorgan upgrades to Outperform with a target price of 2175p.
Telford Homes to buy Stone Studios in Hackney Wick
AIM-listed residential property developer Telford Homes has exchanged contracts for the purchase of Stone Studios, a residential-led mixed-use development site on Wallis Road, Hackney Wick, E9.
AstraZeneca gets EC marketing approval for lung cancer drug Tagrisso
AstraZeneca has received full marketing authorisation from the European Commission for Tagrisso for the treatment of adult patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
FTSE 100 movers: Ashtead lifted by broker note; Whitbread slumps on outlook
London's FTSE 100 was up 0. 3% to 7,284. 28 in afternoon trade, with gains more subdued following a strong session on Monday.
OptiBiotix confirms first LPLDL sales to Germany
Life sciences business OptiBiotix Health announced on Tuesday that it agreed to supply 100,000 units of its ‘LPLDL’ product to German company HLH BioPharma Vertriebs.
FTSE 250 movers: Elementis rallies on trading statement; Vectura hit by downgrade
London's FTSE 250 was up 0. 1% to 19,628. 75 in afternoon trade, with broker notes providing much of the action.
Small cap news round-up
Specialist carpet and floor coverings retailer Carpetright said on Tuesday that its full-year profit is expected to be towards the lower end of the current range of market expectations for underlying pre-tax profit of £13. 9m to £16. 2m.
Systemair buys Austrian air handling unit manufacturer
Nasdaq and Stockholm-listed ventilation company Systemair AB has bought Frivent Luft & Wärmetechnik, an Austrian manufacturer of air handling units, for an undisclosed sum.
Tekcapital's stake in Belluscura reduced after Nanotether Discovery Science acquisition
Intellectual property services provider Tekcapital's stake in Belluscura has been reduced after Belluscura bought Nanotether Discovery Science for about £265,000.
Patagonia Gold to sell Argentina gold mine for $15m
AIM-listed miner Patagonia Gold is to sell its Cap-Oeste Sur Este project (COSE) in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina to Minera Triton for $15m.
Comment: Canadian dollar not yet over its troubles
The Canadian dollar depreciated to the lowest levels since December against the US dollar on Tuesday, with a possible trade war likely to do major damage, writes Ipek Ozkardeskaya of London Capital Group.
Results round-up: Whitbread, Amec Foster Wheeler
Whitbread served up a fairly solid set of full year results and while it reported a good start to 2017, warned of a tougher consumer environment than last year for its Premier Inn hotels and Costs coffee shops.
Broker tips: Ascential, miners, Vectura Group, construction firms, HSBC, Weir Group
Berenberg initiated coverage of B2B media company Ascential at 'buy' with a 400p price target.
UK public sector borrowing rises but deficit hits Hammond's target
The UK budget deficit met the Chancellor's much reduced target but public sector borrowing rose more than expected in March and is forecast to rise in the coming year.
Mitsubishi and Nissan chairman rules out merger
Japanese carmakers Mitsubishi Motors Corp and Nissan Motor Co are not looking at plans for a merger between the two companies, according to the chairman of both firms.
Asia report: French frenzy still pushes markets higher
Markets in Asia finished higher on Tuesday, as the French election frenzy continued, though tensions on the Korean peninsula managed to put a lid on some of the gains.
London midday: Stocks edge higher but Whitbread slumps on outlook
London stocks had edged higher by midday as investors sifted through corporate news, with trading a little subdued compared with the strong gains of the previous session.
Europe midday: Stocks mixed as French election rally loses steam
European stocks were mixed by midday as the rally in the wake of the first round of the French presidential election result lost steam, although France’s CAC made modest gains.
Whitbread serves up solid profits but warns of tough consumer outlook
Whitbread served up a fairly solid set of full year results and while it reported a good start to 2017, warned of a tougher consumer environment than last year for its Premier Inn hotels and Costs coffee shops.
US pre-open: Stocks seen touch higher as investors eye earnings
US futures pointed to a marginally firmer open on Wall Street on Tuesday as investors continued to mull Donald Trump's tax reform pledges ahead of more earnings reports.