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Weekly review
The FTSE 100 ended the week up 243. 98 points, or 3. 09%, closing at 8,139. 83 on Friday.
London close: Stocks buoyed by banking, mining positivity
London's equity markets closed positively on Friday, buoyed by gains in the banking sector following better-than-expected results from NatWest.
Agronomics investee Solar Foods raises EUR 8m
Cellular agriculture investor Agronomics announced on Friday that its portfolio company Solar Foods had raised an additional €8m through Finnish investment organiser Springvest.
Tekcapital's Innovative Eyewear enters deal with New Look Vision
Intellectual property investor Tekcapital announced on Friday that its investee Innovative Eyewear, the developer of ChatGPT-enabled smart eyewear under various brands, was launching its ‘Lucyd’ smart frames in 10 selected New Look Vision Group stores across Quebec and at New Look’s online store.
Aukett Swanke flags delays to some contracts
Smart buildings, architectural and design services specialist Aukett Swanke said in an update on Friday that, as outlined in its recent financial statements, it maintained a robust pipeline of interest, although a number of projects had been pushed back.
Asia report: Most markets rise as Japan maintains interest rates
Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region closed mostly higher on Friday, with the yen in focus after the Bank of Japan decided to maintain interest rates.
Sainsbury's kicks off £200m share buyback programme
Sainsbury’s kicked off its share buyback programme on Friday, having announced it on 7 February, aiming to repurchase up to £200m of shares by the end of the current financial year.
Record reports solid rise in assets under management
Specialist currency and asset manager Record said in a trading update on Friday that in the 2024 financial year, its assets under management equivalent (AUME) jumped 17% to $102. 2bn.
ITM Power inks strategic partnership with Hygen
ITM Power announced a strategic partnership with Hygen on Friday, designating it as the preferred supplier of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers for hydrogen projects in the UK and across Europe.
Pantheon net asset value expands 0.9pc in March
Pantheon International reported a 0. 9% month-on-month improvement in its unaudited net asset value per share in March on Friday, to 488. 1p, as its total net asset value stood at £2. 3bn.
Darktrace agrees to be bought by Thoma Bravo in $5bn deal
Darktrace announced on Friday that the newly-formed Thoma Bravo entity, Luke Bidco, had agreed to acquire it in an all-cash deal.
Gym Group enlists Savills to help with site selection
Low-cost gym operator the Gym Group announced on Friday that it has enlisted the expertise of Savills to assist in its site selection process, as it embarked on a strategic expansion plan.
Carnival concludes private offering, reprices senior notes
Carnival announced on Friday that it has concluded its private offering of €500m in 5. 75% senior unsecured notes, due 2030.
GCP Infra offloads Blackcraig Wind Farm assets for £31m
GCP Infrastructure Investments announced the successful disposed of its interest in loan notes secured against the Blackcraig Wind Farm in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland on Friday.
Friday newspaper round-up: Microsoft, mortgage rates, Boeing, Alphabet, Trump
Microsoft beat Wall Street estimates for its third-quarter revenue last night, driven by gains from artificial intelligence adoption across its cloud services and business software products. The company said its revenues had risen to $61. 9 billion, up by 17 per cent and exceeding the $60. 8 billion, or 15 per cent rise, that had been forecast. Its net income was $21. 9 billion, up by 20% from the year before. - The Times.
Anglo American rejects BHP's bid, GCP Infra offloads wind farm notes
London open The FTSE 100 is expected to open 60 points higher on Friday, having closed up 0. 48% on Thursday at 8,078. 86.
London close: Stocks finish mixed as US GDP growth slows
London's stock markets finished with a mixed performance on Thursday, as investors digested a slower-than-expected GDP growth reading from the United States, while a slew of well-received earnings underpinned the top-flight index.
Petro Matad still working to secure Mongolia approvals
Mongolia-focussed oil company Petro Matad said in an update on Thursday that it was actively engaged with local government agencies to secure the necessary approvals from Matad District to kickstart its 2024 operational programme.
Revenue, earnings to fall at Driver Group
Dispute avoidance and resolution consultancy Driver Group said in a trading update on Thursday that it expected to report revenue of £22. 5m for its first half, slightly down from £24. 2m a year earlier.
Labour lays out plans to renationalise UK's railways
Labour promised to renationalise the UK’s railway network within five years of taking office on Thursday, in a bid to address the system’s challenges without compensating its existing private operators.