Market Report
Sleepy Suffolk lane suffers UK's slowest broadband
Residents of a quiet semi-rural Suffolk lane are suffering the slowest broadband speeds in the UK, according to recent speed test data collected by a price comparison service.
Sports Direct and Primark named and shamed for underpaying staff
Sports Direct and Primark are among a list of companies that have been named and shamed for paying staff less than the minimum wage, with the government dishing out £1. 3m of fines and ordering £1. 7m to be paid to 16,000 underpaid workers.
Director dealings: Saga chief picks up shares as stock falls to 2014 lows
Saga chief Lance Batchelor picked up a batch of shares in the company he leads even as the stock plummeted in the wake of its latest trading update.
Clipper Logistics grows market share, profits in e-fulfilment and returns
Clipper Logistics enjoyed strong growth and grew market share in e-fulfilment and returns management services for retailers ranging from Asos to Marks & Spencer, enabling it to increase earnings per share almost 19% in the first half of the year.
London close: Stocks dip as miners weigh and pound rallies
London stocks were not able to hold onto their modest early gains and closed in the red on Thursday as late pressure came from the pound on renewed optimism over a Brexit deal.
Europe close: Investors waiting on German SPD vote on grand coalition
Stocks on the Continent moved higher - tracking gains on Wall Street - even as political risks in Germany and Italy came into sharper focus.
IMF says China's banks need more capital after credit boom
The International Monetary Fund has urged China’s banks to raise more capital to protect against risks caused by a credit boom.
US open: Nasdaq pushes higher, Sage Therapeutics soars
Wall Street is trading higher with the Nasdaq making gains amid a flurry of share buyback announcements in the wider market and another torrid run higher in Bitcoin.
Bitcoin surges past $16,500 despite news of $60m heist
Digital currency Bitcoin continued its upwards trajectory, hitting a new record high above $16,500, despite a major hack which saw millions of dollars worth of the digital currency stolen on Thursday.
People's Operator's £2.8m discounted fundraising hits shares
The People's Operator, the charity fundraising mobile virtual telephone network, plans to raise up to £3. 2m to pay down debt and launch a new marketing strategy less focused on low-value UK customers.
FTSE 100 movers: Sky gains on Comcast report; Babcock goes ex-div
London’s FTSE 100 was down 0. 3% to 7,329. 93 in afternoon trade on Thursday.
General Electric axing 1100 UK jobs as its restructures power business
US industrial giant General Electric is shedding 12,000 jobs from its power operations, including 1,100 in the UK, as new CEO John Flannery moves to restructure the firm following years of stagnation.
Bagir teams up with 'Sizer' app for suit measurements
Designer, creator and provider of “innovative” tailoring, Bagir has entered into an agreement with Israel-based body measuring app Sizer to combine the expertise of both businesses to produce ‘made to measure’ suits and other tailored garments for customers who provide their measurements online via the Sizer app.
Playtech drops on Ladbrokes Coral/GVC deal
Shares in gambling software company Playtech fell after Ladbrokes Coral said it is in advanced talks with GVC Holdings about a possible takeover of the bookmaker, amid concerns about the implications of the deal on its contract with Ladbrokes, for whom it provides online platforms.
Verditek's Westec signs letter of intent for CO2 tech commercialisation
Clean technology company Verditek announced on Thursday that, further to its announcement on 29 November, its group company Westec Environmental Solutions has signed a letter of intent with Industrial Climate Solutions to develop and enter into a licence agreement for the commercialisation of its CO2 absorber technology.
Dillistone talks up prospects of 'GatedTalent' product
Dillistone Group updated the market on early developments at its new subsidiary ‘GatedTalent’ on Thursday, which was launched on 9 October at the World Executive Search Congress as a private network designed to allow executives to share information with recruiters in a private manner, while also assisting recruiters in their GDPR compliance.
FTSE 250 movers: Ladbrokes and GVC rally on deal news; DS Smith drops
London’s FTSE 250 was flat at 19,824. 17 in afternoon trade on Thursday, but M&A provided a welcome distraction from the drudgery of Brexit news.
RM signals expectation-busting year ahead of results
RM expects its results for the financial year to 30 November to be ahead of expectations, it confirmed on Thursday.
Friday preview: Non-farm payrolls in focus, Berkeley reports interims
For traders this week is rather back-end loaded, with the US non-farm payrolls providing an early climax on the first Friday of every month, with UK industrial production and trade data providing some early action.
Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital causes controversy
Countries from all over the world have rushed to criticise US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, which has further raised tensions in the already-strained wider Middle East.