Market Report
Senators call for Facebook hearing amid election "integrity" concerns
Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Kennedy have issued a joint call to Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley to hold a hearing with the chief executives of Facebook, Google and Twitter.
Commodities: Wheat, cocoa futures see sharpest losses
Commodities as a whole were lower on Monday, even as the US dollar lost ground, amid heavy selling in the agricultural space.
Results round-up
AIM-listed cake and bread maker Finsbury Food posted a 6% jump in interim profit on Monday as revenue edged higher despite "market-wide headwinds".
Putin elected to a fourth term as Russian president
Vladimir Putin was elected for a fourth six-year term as Russian President in the 19 March elections, making him the longest-serving leader of the country since dictator Joseph Stalin, although voter turnout was slightly lower than the Kremlin had reportedly been seeking.
Europe close: Stocks retreat ahead of Fed meeting amid trade tensions
Stocks on the Continent started the week moderately lower, amid heavy losses in Basic Resources and Technology issues, with international trade frictions very much in focus ahead of a two-day G-20 finance ministers' meeting in Buenos Aires and ahead of the key US central bank policy meeting on Wednesday.
US open: Tech stocks falter as investors 'unfriend' Facebook on data worries
Trading started weaker on Wall Street with technology shares facing steep selling pressure amid fresh worries tied to Facebook's policies over user data management emerged, even as investors wait on the latest policy announcement and expected rate hike from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday.
Market buzz: Pound pops on EU transition deal, Facebook falls
1700:Close The top tier index started the week on a weak note amid a near perfect storm of pound strength, soft base metals' prices, a twitter-storm on Capitol Hill at the weekend and ongoing trade and geopolitical frictions. Somewhat ironically, the chief trigger behind the downdraft in London-listed stocks was a relative 'positive' for the economy, in the form an understanding between Brussels and Westminster on the broad contours of the post-Brexit transition deal.
London close: Shares hammered by rising pound, trade and political frictions
London stocks fell sharply at the start of the week as the pound rallied on the back of a draft Brexit deal, with traders also looking ahead to a week that included monetary policy meetings at the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England.
Kremlin: 'UK must prove Russian involvement in poisoning or apologise'
Russia has demanded proof of their involvement in the Salisbury poisoning, saying that otherwise the UK should apologise, even as the European Union backs Britain and requests "full and complete disclosure of its novichok programme".
Tuesday preview: Eyes on CPI ahead of BoE, Wood and Ocado report
UK inflation is expected to ease off on Tuesday ahead of the Bank of England monetary policy meeting later in the week, while updates are expected from the likes of Ocado and Wood Group.
Broker tips: AstraZeneca, Close Brothers, Shire
Jefferies upgraded AstraZeneca to 'buy' from 'hold' on Monday, lifting the price target to 5,600p from 5,075p as it said the pharmaceuticals giant is at a "turning point".
UK agrees Brexit transition deal with EU, loose threads remain
Britain and the European Union have agreed a 21-month Brexit transition deal to smooth the break-up after March 2019, though the Irish border remains one of several issues not yet resolved and it was described by some as "not a decisive breakthrough".
FTSE 250 movers: Bookies rally but Capita takes a hit
London's FTSE 250 was down 0. 5% to 19,710. 61 in afternoon trade on Monday, with bookies bucking the trend as the outcome of the UK gambling watchdog's triennial review was less harsh than expected.
Director dealings: Craneware CFO picks up £2.18m in share sale
Craig Preston, chief financial officer of software and support services firm Craneware, sold 112,126 ordinary shares in the Edinburgh-based group on Monday at a price of 1,950p per share.
Jefferies ups AstraZeneca to 'buy', says it's at a 'turning point'
Jefferies upgraded AstraZeneca to 'buy' from 'hold' on Monday, lifting the price target to 5,600p from 5,075p as it said the pharmaceuticals giant is at a "turning point".
Apple looks to cut out Asian screen makers, kicks off MicroLED production
Tech giant Apple is said to be developing its own MicroLED device displays, making a limited number of the screens available for testing as part of a move that could seriously hurt Asian display makers whose primary business is the supply of these screens to the US smartphone manufacturer.
CentralNic wins .ooo domain distribution deal from Infibeam
Software platform company CentralNic has secured the distribution contract for the top-level domain ‘. ooo’ from Infibeam Incorporation, an e-commerce company listed on the India Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of more than $1bn, it announced on Monday.
FTSE 100 movers: Barclays rallies as Sherborne takes stake; Micro Focus gets battered
London's FTSE 100 was down 1. 4% to 7,066. 66 in afternoon trade on Monday as investors looked ahead to a busy week that includes rate decisions from the Fed and the Bank of England.
Relief for bookies over gambling machines reports
Shares in bookmakers Ladbrokes Coral and William Hill galloped higher on Monday after reports that they will avoid the worst scenarios envisaged from the government's triennial review on fixed-odds betting terminals.
Miton Group shares on the rise after 'strong start' to trading year
Asset manager Miton Group posted a double-digit increase in annual profit on Monday, pointing to a "strong start" to the year after its assets under management topped £4bn.