Market Report
Results round-up
Sage Group tumbled on Friday as it cut its full-year guidance to reflect "inconsistent operational execution".
Europe close: Geopolitical worries weigh, Italian government talks fail
Stocks on the Continent finished off their best levels heading into the weekend, as traders opted to play it safe given the heightened tensions in the Middle East.
Market Buzz: Investors play it safe going into the weekend; 'Sell the rip', BoA says
1700:Close Stocks carved out slight gains as the pound trimmed early sharp gains, as investors reacted positively to hints of progress in Washington's trade negotiations with Beijing and its NAFTA partners.
Euro area February goods trade surplus shows peak growth now past
The single currency bloc's trade surplus with the rest of the world widened in February, but only because imports fell more quickly than exports.
London close: Gains in shares capped by geopolitical worries, pound strength
London stocks finished higher on Friday - but only just - as investors played it safe going into the weekend, due to the tense geopolitical situation in the Middle East, and strength in the pound.
Director dealings: BAE finance director holds onto his bonus shares
Peter Lynas, group finance director of defence firm BAE Systems, disposed of 10,525 ordinary shares in the firm on Friday, for a total of £62,255, to satisfy the income tax and NIC liability resulting from the exercise of options under the firm's Long Term Incentive Plan .
Russian government blocks Telegram for not handing over message encryption keys
A court in Moscow has approved a request from a Russian media regulator to block the messaging app Telegram with immediate effect. The media regulator proposed the measure after the app refused to hand over the encryption keys it uses to scramble users’ messages.
Norwegian chief says no plans to sell to IAG
Norwegian Air Shuttle chief Bjorn Kjos said on Friday that the low-cost carrier wasn't for sale and that he had not spoken to anyone from International Consolidated Airlines Group, IAG's holding company.
US open: Wall Street opens down as big banks lose ground
US stocks turned slightly weaker at the start of trading on Wall Street on Friday as investors kept one eye on geopolitical developments and first reads on the earnings season from the country's biggest banks.
Leaked financials suggest Saudi giant Aramco more profitable than Apple
Secretive Saudi oil giant Aramco achieved a colossal $33. 8bn in net income over the first six months of 2017 according to reports from Bloomberg.
FTSE 100 movers: Mondi on a high as Sage Group sinks
The FTSE 100 had its head just above water on Friday afternoon, as investors kept an eye on the geopolitical situation, with the latest Chinese trade data in focus and US bank earnings eyed.
FTSE 250 movers: Ultra Electronics boosted by upgrade; Hammerson hammered
London’s FTSE 250 was up 0. 4% to 19,856. 46 in afternoon trade on Friday, with broker notes providing most of the action.
US consumer sentiment slips in April amid trade war fears
Consumer sentiment in the US deteriorated in April amid trade war worries, according to data from the University of Michigan.
Volga Gas revenues fall as its reserves shrink
Oil and gas exploration and production group Volga Gas issued its preliminary, unaudited annual results for the year ended 31 December on Friday, with sales volumes down 28. 3% to 4,677 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd).
Trakm8 positive about future as it continues to narrow its core focus
Telematics and data supplier Trakm8 Holdings updated the market on its trading for the financial year ended 31 March on Friday, reporting 26% growth in its core solutions business to £26. 9m, which drove 13% year-on-year headline revenue growth to more than £30m.
Greenstone investment in Serabi Gold completes
Serabi Gold announced on Friday that the share subscription by Greenstone Resources, as announced on 23 March, has been completed.
Live Company launches division to take LEGO shows on tour
Live Company Group announced the debut of a new division on Friday - BRICKLIVE Touring - which it said would take themed ‘BRICKLIVE’ shows on tour.
Savannah Resources implements incentive plan for executives and management
Resource development company Savannah Resources announced on Friday that, upon the recommendation of its remuneration committee, it has approved the implementation of a long-term incentive plan prepared with advice from KPMG, and designed to incentivise its executive directors and other members of the senior management team.
Goldman adds Melrose to Conviction List, says it's fundamentally undervalued
Melrose Industries, which recently won its battle to take over engineer GKN, got a boost on Friday as Goldman Sachs added the buy-rated stock to its Conviction List.
Sector movers: Cyclicals lead amid varying degrees of caution among analysts
Cyclicals are clearly pacing gains in mid-afternoon trading, as stocks stabilise on the back of the more constructive news-flow on the international trade front. However, some strategists were a tad cautious.