THE MOST READ
London close: Stocks fall and pound gains as manufacturing optimism rises
London’s benchmark remained in the red by the close on Wednesday, as sterling was positive against its major pairs after the latest manufacturing survey from the Confederation of British Industry.
US close: Mixed performance on the Street as earnings remain in focus
US stocks turned in a mixed performance on Wednesday as corporate releases continued to stream in and focus remained on the spread of a deadly virus in China.
Berkeley Group to boost shareholders returns by £455m
Housebuilder Berkeley Group said on Wednesday that it will return £1bn to shareholders over the next two years, which is a £455m increase.
Broker tips: Experian, N Brown, Ferguson, Travis Perkins
Morgan Stanley upped its rating on shares of credit-checking firm Experian to ‘overweight’ from ‘equalweight’ on Wednesday as it pointed to a change in regulation in Brazil that should benefit the group.
London midday: Stocks pare gains as pound jumps after CBI survey
London stocks had pared gains by midday on Wednesday as sterling was boosted by the latest manufacturing survey from the Confederation of British Industry, with losses for the likes of TUI, Antofagasta and Burberry weighing on the top-flight index.
FTSE 100 movers: Berkeley builds gains; Burberry falls on update
London’s FTSE 100 was down 0.4% at 7,582.34 in afternoon trade on Wednesday.
FTSE 250 movers: IP rallies; Close Brothers slumps on update
London’s FTSE 250 was up 0.1% to 21,773.47 in afternoon trade on Wednesday.
Transport secretary evaluating alternatives to HS2
The future of the HS2 high-speed rail project was cast into further doubt on Wednesday, as transport secretary Grant Shapps delayed his decision over its future, and reiterated he was looking at alternative options.
Daimler warns on profits as emissions fallout continues
Daimler, the German luxury car manufacturer, has once again warned on profits, as it continues to navigate the fallout from the emissions scandal and a switch away from diesel vehicles.
Wednesday broker round-up
Experian: Morgan Stanley upgrades to overweight with a target price of 2,950p.
Jeff Bezos's phone hacked by crown prince of Saudi Arabia
The Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has suffered a mobile hack in 2018 by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, reported the Guardian on Wednesday.
UBS upgrades Ferguson, downgrades Travis Perkins
UBS upgraded its stance on Ferguson on Wednesday but downgraded Travis Perkins, as it took a look at the European building materials sector.
Xiaomi still considering entering US market regardless of trade war
China's Xiaomi is still considering entering the US market despite America's stance against technology firms from the Asian giant and the ongoing trade war.
Director dealings: Dev Clever founder lowers stake
Dev Clever Holdings revealed on Wednesday that chief executive Christopher Jeffries had sold 50,000,000 ordinary shares in the London-listed digital innovation group.
SDX Energy posts decent rise in production for 2019
Middle East and North Africa-focussed oil and gas company SDX Energy updated the market on its operations and finances for 2019 on Wednesday, reporting full-year production of 4,020 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) was 12% higher than 2018.
Europe close: Markets falter as Trump renews EU tariff threats
Stocks on the continent remained below the waterline as markets closed on Wednesday, after the US president renewed his threat of trade tariffs against the European Union.
Bosch to increase shareholding in Ceres Power
Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology company Ceres Power Holdings announced on Wednesday that Robert Bosch will increase its equity shareholding in Ceres from around 4% to about 18%.
London open: Stocks edge up as traders shrug off coronavirus concerns
London stocks edged higher in early trade on Wednesday, taking their cue from an upbeat session in Asia as investors shrugged off concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
Government borrowing falls ahead of post-Brexit Spring budget
Public borrowing eased in December, official data released on Wednesday showed, beating analyst expectations.
UK manufacturers upbeat for the future - CBI
Optimism across the British manufacturing sector has improved sharply, reaching levels not seen since 2014, a widely-watch survey revealed on Wednesday.
Hundreds of jobs to go at Jaguar Land Rover's Halewood plant
Jaguar Land Rover is set to axe hundreds of jobs at its Halewood plant on Merseyside.
Regency Mines upbeat on progress at Mambare
Battery metals-focussed natural resource exploration and development company Regency Mines updated the market on its flagship Mambare nickel-cobalt project on Wednesday, following recent successful partner engagements.
FirstGroup's South Western Railway could be stripped of franchise
The transport secretary described the South Western Railway franchise as “not sustainable” on Wednesday, warning that the operation based at London Waterloo could be nationalised.
Ted Baker inventory overstatement more than double initial estimate
Fashion retailer Ted Baker said on Wednesday that it had overstated the value of its inventory by more than twice what it originally estimated.
US threatens retaliatory levies if UK presses ahead with digital tax
Tensions between London and Washington were growing on Wednesday after the US threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs if the UK introduced a tax on technology companies.