Market Report
Sky higher as Comcast jostles with Disney over Fox assets
Sky shares were lifted by reports that US cable giant Comcast is interested in taking full control of the broadcaster and other assets of major shareholder 21st Century Fox, which is already in advanced sale talks with Disney.
HSS Hire surges as it announces additional cost savings
Shares in HSS Hire surged on Thursday after the tool and equipment hire firm said it has identified £10m to £14m of additional savings to be made following a strategic review.
Advanced Oncotherapy strikes China deal and raises £37m
Advanced Oncotherapy shares surged after the cancer therapy specialist announced a distribution agreement for Greater China and South Korea and more than £37m in new funding.
House prices continue to rise faster than other surveys suggest, Halifax reckons
House prices are continuing to surge higher, according to research by Halifax that runs contrary to most other surveys of the housing market.
Europe open: Stocks higher as eurozone GDP beats expectations
European stocks were higher on Thursday morning as the latest reading on eurozone gross domestic product eclipsed the market's expectations but German industrial data was far worse than the expected.
London open: Stocks edge up but gains limited amid Brexit concerns
London stocks edged higher in early trade on Thursday, with sentiment underpinned by a rebound in US tech shares overnight, but gains were limited as investors kept an eye on Brexit developments.
GVC closes in on Ladbrokes Coral takeover at third attempt
GVC Holdings is in advanced talks with Ladbrokes Coral about a possible takeover of the bookmaker worth up to £3. 9bn depending on the outcome of the government's gaming machines review.
Legal & General expects record year for profits
Legal & General said it expected a record year for profits and earnings as it reported accelerating growth across its businesses.
DS Smith sees strong outlook for more volume growth
Packaging and paper group DS Smith increased sales strongly in the first half of the year but profits grew more slowly due to higher paper prices.
Electra Private Equity outperforms FTSE 250 in 'year of change'
Electra Private Equity reported strong performance during what it described as a “year of change” in its preliminary announcement on Thursday, with total shareholder return of 21% for the year, compared with 14% for the FTSE 250 index.
Steinhoff looks to reassure investors over liquidity
Retail group Steinhoff International put out another statement on Thursday as it looked to reassure investors over its liquidity position, after announcing the departure of its chief executive a day earlier amid “accounting irregularities”.
Stobart Group confirms latest quarterly dividend
Stobart Group confirmed its latest quarterly dividend on Thursday, in line with plans outlined to shareholders earlier this year.
Ferrexpo to pay special dividend in January
Ferrexpo announced a special dividend of 3. 3 US cents per share on Thursday, following the payment of an interim dividend for the first six months of 2017 of 3. 3 US cents per share on 8 September.
St. Modwen pleased with development and disposal progress ahead of results
St. Modwen Properties updated the market on its trading for the period to 30 November on Thursday, reporting that it has delivered around one million square feet of commercial development this year.
London pre-open: Stocks seen higher after US tech rebound
London stocks were set for a positive open on Thursday, with sentiment underpinned by a rebound in US tech shares overnight.
Coca-Cola HBC appoints Zoran Bogdanovic as new CEO
Coca-Cola HBC has appointed Zoran Bogdanovic as its new chief executive officer with immediate effect, succeeding Dimitris Lois who passed away in October.
Thursday newspaper round-up: China, Brexit, zombie companies
Fears that China risks being the cause of a fresh global financial crisis have been highlighted by the International Monetary Fund in a hard-hitting warning about the growing debt-dependency of the world’s second biggest economy. The IMF’s health check of China’s financial system found that credit was high by international levels, that personal debt had increased in the past five years, and that the pressure to maintain the country’s rapid growth had bred an unwillingness to let struggling firms fail.
US close: Markets mixed as traders look to non-farms
Wall Street finished mixed on Wednesday, as traders continued to play it safe ahead of Friday's monthly non-farm payrolls numbers and next week's US Federal Reserve policy meeting.