Market Pulse
Randgold, Glencore and other miners club together to fight Congo legislation
A group of mining companies, including Glencore and Randgold Resources, have banded together in an effort to halt legislative changes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
ECB halts payments from Latvian bank amid accusations of North Korean transactions
The European Central Bank halted payments by ABLV, one of Latvia's biggest banks, on Monday, amid accusations from the United States Treasury that the lender had been involved in money laundering and unauthorised transactions with the heavily sanctioned nation of North Korea.
Deutsche Bank looking to cut more than 250 jobs at corporate and investment banking arms
Deutsche Bank began making moves to cut no less than 250 jobs in its corporate and investment bank units, as it looks to stem the flow of expenses while its securities division continues to slide.
Spaceandpeople signs new extended agreement with Landsec
SpaceandPeople announced a contract renewal, as well as a significant expansion of opportunities with Landsec in the UK on Monday.
Next 15 trades in line, expects some US tax reform benefits
Digital communications group Next 15 updated the market on its trading on Monday, ahead of its results for the year to 31 January, which are due to be announced in early April.
Directa Plus gets Italian patent for tyre applications
Graphene-based products producer and supplier Directa Plus announced on Monday that the Ufficio Brevetti e Marchi - the Italian patent and trademark office- has granted it a patent for the product and application of its new graphene-based solution for enhancing the performance of tyres.
Baron Oil nets North Sea Option Agreement
Baron Oil’s share prices have skyrocketed on Monday after it announced it has entered into an option agreement to take a stake in a UK North Sea licence.
Kin shares to be suspended as it hunts for reverse takeover offers
Kin Group updated the market on its states as a cash shell under rule 15 of the AIM rules on Monday - a status it entered into on 30 August last year, when its principal trading subsidiary appointed administrators.
Director dealings: Touchstar directors buy into open offer
Multiple directors and closely associated people of software solutions firm Touchstar picked up shares in the AIM-quoted group on Monday, buying into the open offer announced by the enterprise mobile computing specialist on 17 January.
Diurnal finds partner to break Australia and New Zealand markets
Specialty pharmaceutical company Diurnal Group announced a marketing and distribution agreement with specialised Australian pharmaceutical firm Emerge Health on Monday.
MedaPhor launches new lifelike ultrasound simulation trainer
Ultrasound software and simulation company MedaPhor Group announced the launch of its new BodyWorks Eve simulator platform on Monday, which it described as an ultra-realistic manikin-based simulator to train medical professionals practising point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) across emergency medicine and critical care.
RBC reiterates 'outperform' rating on Petra Diamonds, but drops target price to 85p
Analysts at RBC Capital Markets took a look at Petra Diamonds on Monday morning, saying that despite the waiver to its December covenant test - together with the revisions to its June and December 2018 tests - had improved its outlook, the company was still slightly offside the revised covenants, and that significant general ramp-up risks still remained at Cullinan "in what remains a volatile wider market".
Unexpected delay arises in Quadrise boiler trial project
Quadrise Fuels International updated the market on its planned combustion boiler trial project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Monday.
Hardide trading in line ahead of first half results
Investors in Hardide were told of how the company was continuing to trade in line with expectations at its annual general meeting on Monday.
Russia warns US not to "play with fire" in the Syrian conflict
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned the US not to meddle in the Syrian conflict, accusing the Trump administration of trying to undermine the Arab Republic’s territorial integrity and of supporting the autonomy-seeking Kurds in order to further its own interests.
Credit Suisse slashes Talk Talk target, sceptical of company's growth targets
Analysts at Credit Suisse reiterated their 'underperform' stance on shares of TalkTalk, slashing their target price in the process, to reflect the company's £200m share placing and its analysts' now lower medium-term forecasts for the firm's operating profits.
McColl's like-for-like sales head south after Palmer and Harvey enters administration
Neighbourhood retailer McColl's saw total revenue jump 19. 1% to £1. 13bn in the twelve months leading to 26 November, but disruptions to its supply chain in the wake of wholesaler Palmer and Harvey entering into administration hit sales after the reporting period.
Jefferies upgrades Fidessa, says margins on upward trend
Jefferies upped its rating on Fidessa to ‘buy’ from hold’ on Monday and hiked the price target to 3,100p from 2,400p following the company’s full-year results, pointing to the emergence of clarity on future margin evolution.
Balfour Beatty sells further 5% stake in Connect Plus
Infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has announced the sale of an additional 5% in Connect Plus, the company which operates the M25 orbital motorway, to funds managed by Equitix for £42m in cash.
UK house prices rise 0.8% in February - Rightmove
The average asking price of a UK home rose 0. 8% on the month in February, or £2,414 to £300,001, following a 0. 7% jump the month before, according to figures released by Rightmove.