Market Report
Buy-and-build strategy paying off, says 1pm
Small and medium enterprise finance facility provider 1pm updated the market on its trading on Wednesday, ahead of interim results for the six months to 30 November, which it said would be announced during the week of 15 January.
Wall Street warming to stocks but sentiment not yet euphoric, BofA says
Analysts continued to warm towards stocks last month but based on past experience their overall level of optimism was still consistent with further gains in shares, strategists at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch said.
Gfinity's Elite Series first to include FIFA 18
Esports entertainment group Gfinity announced on Wednesday that its ‘Elite Series’ will become the first esports competition to include the ‘EA Sports FIFA 18’ title in its schedule, when season three of one of the world's premier esports competitions begins in March 2018.
Billing Services Group proposes $5m return to shareholders
Billing Services Group proposed to return up to $5m to shareholders on Wednesday, by way of a tender offer at a price of 4. 25 US cents per share.
Vernalis and Servier meet pre-clinical milestone in third collaboration
Vernalis and Servier announced the achievement of a pre-clinical milestone in their third oncology drug discovery collaboration on Wednesday.
'Minor' fire at Walker Greenbank factory damages printing machine
AIM-listed luxury interior furnishings group Walker Greenbank said its Loughborough wallpaper factory was hit by a 'minor' fire on Tuesday night, damaging one of the printing machines.
US private sector adds more jobs than expected in November
Private sector employment in the US rose more than expected in November, according to data released by ADP on Wednesday.
Europe midday: Stocks mired in the red despite soft euro
Stocks are holding lower amid talk of 'profit-taking' and 'sector rotation' as investors adjust their portfolios in anticipation of tax cuts and tighter monetary policy on the other side of the Pond, alongside caution towards the outlook for growth in China and heavy selling on the Japanese and Hong Kong bourses.
Hammerson's Intu tilt may bring PE bidders out of the woodwork - Olivetree
Hammerson's acquisition of shopping mall rival Intu Properties is a mix of "opportunism" and "defensiveness", said analysts at specialist M&A broker Olivetree Financial, who do not expect the deal to be blocked on competition grounds.
AFC Energy places first cathode order with manufacturer
Industrial fuel cell power company AFC Energy updated the market on its progress towards delivery of a commercial alkaline fuel cell system on Wednesday, confirming the first commercial order of cathodes had been placed with Industrie De Nora .
Pantheon Resources contracts Schlumberger for logging at Tyler County
Oil and gas exploration company Pantheon Resources updated the market on logging operations at VOBM#4 on Wednesday.
Barclays starts Ted Baker at 'equalweight'
Ted Baker's valuation was up with events, Barclays's analysts said, initiating their coverage at 'equalweight' despite the company's multiple attractions.
Maintel issues profit warning as it struggles to recover margin loss
Systems integrator and managed services provider Maintel Holdings updated the market on its trading for the year to 31 December on Wednesday, reporting that its ‘ICON’ cloud services have continued to grow strongly in the second half of 2017, boosted by ongoing investment in the platform.
Morgan Stanley upgrades Carnival on strong demand signals
Analysts at Morgan Stanley have upgraded their recommendation on cruise ship operator Carnival on the back of strong demand signals.
Asia report: Markets mostly lower, Nikkei falls 2pc
Markets in Asia fell sharply on Wednesday after a losing day on Wall Street overnight, as the Tokyo benchmark slid almost 2%.
US pre-open: Stocks seen lower ahead of ADP employment report
US futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Wednesday, with tech stocks likely to drag on the Nasdaq again as investors eyed the latest ADP employment report.
Hammerson swoops for Intu to create shopping centre giant
Shopping centre owner Hammerson has agreed to buy FTSE 350 rival Intu Properties in a £3. 4bn all-share deal that will create a £21bn portfolio across Europe.
German factory orders rise for third month in October, led by capital goods
Strong domestic demand and from outside the single currency bloc boosted German factory orders last month.
London midday: Stocks turn up as investors mull M&A news
London stocks managed to reverse earlier losses to trade just a touch higher by midday on Wednesday as the pound remained under pressure due to the breakdown of Brexit talks, with M&A news providing a welcome distraction.
Numis counts profits after becoming London's number-one broker
Full-year profits from Numis Corporation were lifted 18% as the small- and mid-cap stockbroker enjoyed a strong second half and became the number-one firm in London by number of listed clients.