Market Pulse
London close: Stocks push further into record territory, amid holiday-thinned trading volumes
London shares notched up fresh record highs on Wednesday as the pound ticked up against the greenback, with a strong performance from miners and retailers and a sprinkling of M&A news providing some momentum amid holiday-thinned volumes.
Director dealings: K3 Business Technology Group director picks up large batch of shares
A company controlled by K3 Business Technology Group Director, Johan Claesson, CA Fastieghter AB, made a significant purchase in the company's stock.
US consumer confidence falls from 17-year high in December
Consumer confidence in the US slumped at the end of 2017, albeit after reaching a 17-year high in November, according to one of the most widely-tracked gauges of sentiment.
US open: Stocks nudge up in thin trade; pending home sales and consumer confidence in focus
US stocks edged higher in early trade on Wednesday as investors digested the latest data on home sales and consumer confidence, with volumes light as many traders were still away from their desks for the holidays.
US pending home sales edge higher in November
Pending home sales in the States edged higher last month, according to one of the sector's leading industry groups, but existing home sales were seen flatlining in 2018 due to sharp price growth and the impact of recently approved changes to the country's tax laws.
FTSE 250 movers: IWG surges on takeover approach; miners gain
London’s FTSE 250 index was up 0. 4% to 20,564. 09 in afternoon trade on Wednesday, hitting a fresh high in thin volumes as deal news provided some much-needed momentum.
Governments may act if Bitcoin prices triple, Citi says
It's hard to say how high Bitcoin prices may rise, but many signs point to it being just a bubble and government action against it - possibly should prices triple - will likely determine its peak value, analysts at Citi told clients.
FTSE 100 movers: Miners rally as copper surges; Shire in the black
London’s FTSE 100 was up 0. 3% to 7,615. 15, hitting a fresh record in afternoon trade on Wednesday amid holiday-thinned volumes, with miners providing much of the upside.
Shire files for FDA approval for Georgia plasma manufacturing site
Specialty biopharmaceutical company Shire has filed its first submission to the US Food and Drug Administration for a new plasma manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia, which is expected to add around 30% capacity to the company’s internal network once fully operational.
London midday: Stocks pare gains as pound ticks up; miners rally as copper prices surge
London stocks had pared gains by midday on Wednesday as the pound ticked up against the greenback, with a strong performance from miners and retailers and a sprinkling of M&A news providing some momentum amid holiday-thinned volumes.
US pre-open: Stocks seen muted amid low holiday volumes
US futures pointed to a muted open on Wall Street on Wednesday, with volumes expected to remain light for the rest of the week as many traders are still away from their desks for the holidays.
Citi projects modest weakness in the US dollar in 2018
Foreign exchange strategists at Citi retained a 'bearish' view on the Greenback in 2018, predicting it would weaken by roughly 5% against other G10 currencies over the next six to 12 months and on average by between 1% and 2% against those from Emerging Markets.
Washington to cut $285m from UN budget after Jerusalem vote
The US government has announced it will slash its United Nations budget obligations for 2018 and 2019 in response to a UN vote over the city of Jerusalem.
UK Oil & Gas shares fall after discouraging tests
UK Oil & Gas Investments (UKOG) lost a quarter of its value after it said a zone at its Weald Basin operation was probably not viable.
Asia close: Chinese stocks fall as industrial profit growth slows
Asian stocks were mostly higher overnight save those in China in the wake of figures revealing a slowdown for industrial profits last month.
Barclays post-tax profit to take £1bn hit from US tax changes; future earnings to see positive impact
Barclays said on Wednesday that annual post-tax profit will be hit by a one-off charge of around £1bn as a result of the changes to US tax laws that kick in in January, which include a reduction in the corporate income tax rate to 21% from 35%.
D4T4 Solutions announces new contract wins in key vertical sectors
AIM-listed data solutions provider D4T4 Solutions announced on Wednesday a number of new contract wins in its data management and data collection business areas.
Europe open: Stocks edge higher in quiet trading
Stocks have started the session moving slightly higher in what is expected to be very quiet trading on account of the Christmas holidays.
Gresham House sells final significant legacy asset for £2.1m
AIM-listed specialist alternative asset manager, Gresham House, has exchanged contracts with housebuilder and urban regeneration partner Countryside Properties for the sale of its five-acre site at Newton-le-Willows for a gross value of £2. 1m, with completion expected in early 2018.
DFS buys some stores and assets from collapsed Multiyork for £1.2m
DFS Furniture has bought some of the store leases, assets and intellectual property of collapsed retailer Multiyork Furniture, primarily for Sofa Workshop, for a total consideration of £1. 2m.