Market Pulse
Debenhams to cut jobs faster after Christmas profit warning, takeover talk grows
Debenhams has pledged to accelerate its restructuring plans after issuing the first profit warning of 2018 as sales fell and "tactical promotional action" misfired in the department store group's crucial festive period.
London close: FTSE touches 7700 as Wall Street confidence spreads
London stocks took confidence from their US and European counterparts on Thursday afternoon, even though the pound ticked up against the dollar following decent services data, while a profit warning from Debenhams weighed on retail shares.
Commodities: WTI futures gain after DoE inventory data
Commodities were little changed on Thursday, with some analysts pointing to an apparent lack of conviction following the previous month's sharp gains as a factor dampening activity in markets.
IAG traffic and capacity expand further
British Airways owner IAG reported further growth in capacity and passenger traffic for December.
Norwegian court dismisses Greenpeace's Arctic oil lawsuit against state
An Oslo court has granted Norway permission to undertake further oil exploration in the Arctic on Thursday, dismissing a lawsuit filed by Greenpeace and the Nature and Youth Group that claimed they were in violation of the people's right to a healthy environment.
US oil inventories fall sharply as refineries ramp-up production
US crude oil inventories dropped sharply sharply last week, albeit alongside big increases in product stockpiles as refineries ramped-up production.
Sector movers: Oil equipment, construction names lead gains
Oil equipment services stocks were higher on Thursday, as commodity and oil prices extended the prior year's run higher.
Sessions rumours knock marijuana stocks off their high
Cannabis stocks came down from their high on Thursday as rumours emerged that US attorney general Jeff Sessions planned to rescind federal marijuana legislation.
US open: Dow Industrials punches past 25,000 point mark
The Dow Jones Industrials is punching past the psychological 25,000 point mark for the first time ever, on the back of a bumper reading on one of the most widely-followed surveys of hiring conditions in the US.
Symphony Environment anticipates full-year revenue and profits to exceed market expectations
Eco-friendly plastic technology and production group Symphony Environmental Technologies announced on Thursday that it was expecting revenues for the year ended 31 December to be marginally above expectations.
Jet Airways pilots grounded after mid-flight altercation
Jet Airways confirmed reports that a "misunderstanding" between two cockpit crew members on a New Year's Day flight from London to Mumbai led to both pilots being grounded, adding that those involved had been stripped of their duties, pending an investigation.
Fed funds futures rise after FOMC minutes
Rate-setters in the US continue to see a need for a "gradual" pace of monetary policy tightening, but are also in agreement that the behaviour of prices and of the shape of the government bond yield curve need monitoring, the minutes of the Federal Reserve's last policy meeting revealed.
Oil prices reach two-year high as Iranian tensions panic market
Political unrest in Iran helped oil hit its highest price in more than two years on Thursday as OPEC-led output cuts and cold weather in North America boosted demand for the fossil fuel.
US services sector growth slows to 7-month low in December - IHS Markit
Activity in the US services sector slowed less than initially estimated in December, according to figures out on Thursday.
Friday preview: US payrolls and earnings to increase Fed 'head scratching'
Friday is US non-farm payrolls day, with the numbers coming hot on the heels of news of a split in the Federal Reserve over the pace of interest rate rises this year.
FTSE 100 movers: NMC Health rallies but M&S hit by Debenhams profit warning
London's FTSE 100 was up 0. 3% to 7,694. 70 in afternoon trade on Thursday as investors digested the latest reading on the UK services sector and a profit warning from Debenhams.
Asia close: Regional gauge at record high as Japanese shares surge
Asian stocks continued to climb, led by a surge in Japanese issues that pushed the MSCI Asia Pacific Index to a record high, as investors in Tokyo played catch-up with the rest of the world following the New Years holiday.
Ocado on the rise as deal rumours swirl
Shares in Ocado, the online grocery specialist, marched higher on Thursday as City chatter grew louder about a potential new overseas contract and renewed talk of a possible takeover bid.
Rising UK minimum wage 'puts jobs at risk of robot replacements'
Further increases to the national living wage could lead to a number of positions being replaced by robots and computerised systems as an alternative to paying higher wages, an economic research group warned on Thursday.
SDX Energy abandons Moroccan well after drilling disappointment
Oil and gas explorer SDX Energy has abandoned its ELQ-1 well on the Gharb Centre permit in Northern Morocco and will move onto another prospect nearby.