Market Report
FTSE 100 movers: Micro Focus tumbles on revenue warning; G4S shines after upgrade
London's FTSE 100 was down 0. 3% to 7,704. 22 in afternoon trade on Monday, reversing gains after hitting a fresh high of 7,733. 39 earlier, with housebuilders and Micro Focus under pressure.
Touchstar expects trading inline with market expectations
Mobile computing solutions group Touchstar told investors on Monday that it was expecting results for its fiscal year ended 31 December to fall in line with market expectations driven by continued progress throughout the second half.
Ashtead's 'overweight' rating reiterated by JP Morgan, target price upped
Analysts at JP Morgan Cazenove revised their target price for Ashtead Group' s shares from 2,400p to 2,450p and reiterated their 'overweight' rating on the same, highlighting the 'rare' opportunity for the company, which was already a market leader in the US, to continue growing its market share in that North American market.
Prospex Oil and Gas raises £1.2m in placing
AIM-listed Prospex Oil and Gas has raised £1. 2m in an oversubscribed placing of 200m shares, which will ensure the group is fully funded for its basic 2018 work programmes across its portfolio of investments in late stage European onshore oil and gas projects.
FTSE 250 movers: TP Icap lower after new purchase; Babcock steams ahead
FTSE 250-listed inter-dealer broker TP Icap edged down as it acquired US-based energy and commodities broker SCS Commodities based for an undisclosed cash sum and further performance-related amounts over five years.
Amryt Pharma signs distribution agreement for Lojuxta in Switzerland
Biopharmaceutical group Amryt Pharma has signed an exclusive distributor agreement for Lojuxta, its treatment for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) - a rare, life-limiting disease that impairs the body's ability to remove bad cholesterol from the blood - in Switzerland.
FCA fines former RBS trader over Libor rigging
The Financial Conduct Authority has slapped a £250,000 fine on former RBS trader, Neil Danziger, for attempting to manipulate the Libor rate for the Japanese yen.
McBride warns over first-half operating profit
Personal care and cleaning products manufacturer McBride was under the cosh on Monday as it said full-year earnings would be broadly in line with the prior year while operating profit for the first six months of the year will below the board's expectations.
European consumer, business and investor sentiment surveys all impress
European consumer, business and investor sentiment surveys were all better than expected on Monday, though expectations for inflation and therefore interest rates remain low.
Europe midday: Stocks add to gains as euro dips
Stocks are holding on to their early advance, following bumper gains during the prior week and amid an ongoing debate among analysts regarding the outlook for shares in 2018.
Europe open: Stocks add to gains as analysts debate outlook
Stocks have gotten off to a mildly positive start, following bumper gains during the week before, amid an ongoing debate among analysts regarding the outlook for shares in 2018.
UK economic sentiment rises along with improved EU mood
UK economic sentiment improved in December, according to a European Commission survey released on Monday.
London midday: FTSE hits fresh record but house price data weighs on builders
London's FTSE 100 hit a fresh high on Monday, although a revenue warning from Micro Focus and a profit warning from Mothercare meant gains were minimal, with housebuilders under the cosh following disappointing data from Halifax.
National Bank of Romania hikes interest rates by surprise
Romania's central bank surprised most forecasters on Monday, hiking its main policy rate at the turn of the year in a bid to dampen above-target inflation.
US pre-open: Stocks seen muted as investors eye Fedspeak
US futures pointed to a muted open on Wall Street on Monday following a solid performance last week.
China FX reserves rise to highest level in over a year in December
China's foreign exchange reserves hit their highest level since September 2016 last month as interbank liquidity tightened, analysts said.
Bango wins regional billing service contract with Netflix
Mobile payments company Bango has teamed up with video streaming giant Netflix to allow online video streaming customers in Mexico to subscribe via their mobile phone bill.
German factory orders slip in November
German factory orders unexpectedly slipped in November, according to data released by Destatis.
Mattioli Woods sees improved margins across first half
Pension consultancy and administration service Mattioli Woods saw "strong and sustainable growth" lead to an increase in revenue of 16% in the six months leading to 30 November 2017.
Randall & Quilter CFO Booth resigns
Non-life legacy insurance investor Randall & Quilter announced some changes to its senior management team on Monday, including the resignation of its chief financial officer, as it continues to work towards the simplification of the group.