International News
Europe close: Stocks reclaim December losses on trade hopes
Stocks on the Continent continued to reclaim their losses from last month on the back of a quick succession of more positive-sounding news on the global trade front.
China offers six-year plan to cut trade surplus with US to zero, Bloomberg reports
China has offered to embark on a six-year $1. 0trn buying spree of US goods in a bid to reconfigure the trade relationship between the two economic giants and reduce its trade surplus with America to zero by 2024, Bloomberg reported.
Tesla cuts staff by 7% as Musk sees hard times ahead
Tesla announced on Friday a 7% cut in staff numbers with Musk saying he sees a “very difficult road” ahead for the company.
EU says UK will have to hold European elections if Brexit is delayed
The European Commission said on Friday that the UK would have to hold European elections in order to choose its representatives if Brexit is delayed beyond 2 July.
US consumer sentiment hits lowest level since Trump election
US consumer sentiment deteriorated a lot more than expected this month, dropping to its lowest level since Donald Trump was elected as worries about trade tariffs and the government shutdown took their toll, according to a preliminary reading from the University of Michigan.
Biohit upbeat on recent tests of ColonView product
Biohit updated the market on its ‘ColonView’ test on Friday, which it described as a new-generation fecal immunochemical test (FIT) designed for the detection of fecal occult blood (FOB) in subjects participating in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening.
US open: Stocks jump despite consumer sentiment in the dumps
US stocks continued to push higher on Friday amid hopes of improving relations between the US and China, even as the latest batch of economic data showed that US consumer sentiment was quickly souring.
US manufacturing and mining output jumps in December
US industrial production edged past forecasts last month, as manufacturing and energy output ramped-up.
IEA sticks to forecast for slight pick-up in global oil demand for 2019
The rich world's energy watchdog reiterated its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2019, even as it highlighted the multiple sources of uncertainty which existed on both the demand and supply sides of the equation.
Washington may be open to lifting some tariffs on China, Journal says
Washington might be prepared to make concessions of its own should Beijing decide to 'play ball' in upcoming trade talks.
UK would vote remain by 12% margin - YouGov poll
Britain would vote to stay in the European Union by a 12% margin in a second referendum, revealed a new poll by YouGov taken on 16 January.
US pre-open: Stocks to rise on Sino-US trade hopes
US stocks looked set to rise at the open on Friday amid signs of improving relations between the US and China.
Netflix fourth quarter divides opinions
Netflix enjoyed its best year for customer subscriptions growth but analysts differed over whether fourth-quarter numbers were good enough.
Asia report: Markets end week higher on fresh trade hopes
Markets in Asia finished mostly higher on Friday, as traders welcomed reports that Washington could be considering an easing of punitive tariffs on China as a way to progress trade discussions with Beijing.
Beter Bed sales rise as it restructures international business
Beter Bed Holding updated the market on its sales on Friday, reporting that they increased 2. 2% in the fourth quarter, while its restructuring remained on track.