Market Report
Deanna Oppenheimer quits Worldpay Board after joining Hargreaves Lansdown
Deanna Oppenheimer has resigned from the board of directors at Worldpay after being appointed as the non-executive chair of Hargreaves Lansdown.
Broker tips: BP, UDG, Spectris
Analysts at Citi lifted their target price on shares of BP by 6% to 510p, while reiterating their 'neutral' recommendation on the shares, highlighting the "soft signals" of a rise in the dividend emanating from the company.
Europe close: Stocks bounce back, volatility moves lower
European stocks clawed back some of the prior day's losses on Wednesday, albeit with traders still keeping a wary eye on stocks' gyrations on Wall Street.
London close: Relief rally buoys stocks
Shares in London finished near their best levels of the session on Wednesday, amid 'bargain hunting' following the previous day's heavy losses, as further gains on Wall Street helping to steady traders' frayed nerves.
Thursday preview: What guidance will Bank of England give on rates?
The Bank of England's 'Super Thursday' is the main event of the week, while there are results and quarterly updates from the AA, Ashmore, Bellway, Compass, Smith & Nephew, Sophos, TalkTalk and Tate & Lyle.
JPMorgan upgrades Spectris to 'overweight', expects strong second half performance
A lacklustre share price performance in 2017 for precision instruments supplier Spectris, while partly driven by a lack of earnings growth relative to the sector, was mainly due to the sluggish organic growth seen from the firm early in the year.
Market buzz: Calm returns but 'risk appetite yet to reappear'
European equities are higher on Wednesday morning, following a rebound overnight in the US that continued in Asia.
US open: Stocks make tentative gains, Fedspeak in focus
Wall Street is adding to the previous day's recovery in shares, although traders were still somewhat wary, while officials at the Federal Reserve appeared to be taking a 'hands-off' approach to the recent sell-off.
GSK provides reassuring prognosis for annual dividend
GlaxoSmithKline looked to put worries about its future dividend to bed as it reported 3% growth in sales and 4% in earnings per share at constant currency rates.
Falanx announces new multi-year contract wins
Intelligence, security and cyber defence provider Falanx announced a number of multi-year contract wins on Wednesday.
Plus500 gets licence for local South African subsidiary
Contracts-for-difference trading service provider Plus500 announced on Wednesday that the Financial Services Board of South Africa has granted the company a licence to operate as an authorised financial service provider in South Africa, through a newly created subsidiary Plus500SA Pty Ltd.
Sadiq Khan invests £25m in funding to boost Londoners' skills
The Mayor of London is funding dozens of projects to train Londoners and prepare the workforce of the city for the future.
South Africa's Jacob Zuma reportedly on the cusp of resignation
Jacob Zuma, South Africa's controversial President, was said to be in the middle of talks with the African National Congress' new leader Cyril Ramaphosa over a transition of power, with one source saying Zuma would resign as soon as a list of preconditions had been ironed out.
Merger talks between Croda and Ashland were called off in January - Reuters
Speciality chemicals manufacturer Croda called off merger talks with US rival Ashland in January.
FTSE 250 movers: Investec on the rise again; Sanne hit by downgrade
London's FTSE 250 was up 2. 1% to 19,666. 95 in afternoon trade on Wednesday, recovering from heavy falls the day before.
IDE Group updates market on Coreix damages claim
IDE Group Holdings updated the market on its claim for substantial damages from Coreix on Wednesday, in relation to the trademark infringement case where liability was decided in 2017.
Reach4entertainment performs in line in 2017
Transatlantic media and entertainment marketing company reach4entertainment updated the market on its trading for the year to 31 December on Wednesday - a year in which the company appointed a new senior management team and raised £5. 5m for future investment.
FTSE 100 movers: Direct Line boosted by upgrade; Smurfit drops on update
London's FTSE 100 was up 1. 9% to 7,273. 44 in afternoon trade on Wednesday, bouncing back from heavy losses in the previous session.
Europe midday: Stocks claw back some of their losses
European stocks are clawing back some of Tuesday's losses, albeit with traders keeping a wary eye on stocks' gyrations on Wall Street.
European Commission upgrades eurozone growth forecasts
The European Commission upgraded its forecasts for eurozone economic growth on Wednesday as the transition from recovery to expansion continues.