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US close: Stocks rise as jobless claims top forecasts
Wall Street saw gains in its major indices as the closing bell rang on Thursday, with investors closely monitoring the latest jobless claims figures from the Labor Department.
Europe close: Stoxx 600, Footsie and DAX all hit new record highs
Europe's Stoxx 600 index rose to another record high on Thursday after dovish comments from the Bank of England raised hopes that monetary policy across the continent may continue to ease in the coming months.
Broker tips: NatWest, Helios Towers
NatWest's share-price surge since the start of the year could well continue, according to analysts at Barclays, who hiked their target price for the stock on Thursday.
London close: Stocks manage gains as BoE holds rates
London markets closed on a positive note on Thursday, bolstered by the Bank of England's decision to maintain interest rates, in line with market expectations.
Director dealings: Brickability director lowers stake
Brickability revealed on Thursday that non-executive director Clive Norman had disposed of 400,000 ordinary shares in the AIM-listed building materials company.
Barclays sees huge upside for NatWest despite recent rally
NatWest's share-price surge since the start of the year could well continue, according to analysts at Barclays, who hiked their target price for the stock on Thursday.
US open: Stocks trade higher following jobless claims reading
Wall Street stocks were in the green early on Thursday as this week's jobless claims data from the Labor Department was firmly in focus.
FTSE 100 movers: Vodafone in the black; 3i Group slumps
London’s FTSE 100 was up 0. 4% at 8,390. 26 in afternoon trade on Thursday.
FTSE 250 movers: Harbour Energy gushes; Hipgnosis out of tune
FTSE 250 (MCX) 20,542. 38 0. 25% .
Light Science Technologies shares jump on South Africa deal
Shares in Light Science Technologies Holdings (LSTH) surged on Thursday after the AIM-listed company signed an exclusive distribution agreement to market and sell its nurturGROW vertical farming lights in South Africa.
Blackstone leads Hipgnosis race as Concord says no encore
Private equity giant Blackstone appeared to have emerged as the winner in the race to buy troubled music rights owner Hipgnosis Songs Fund after Apollo-backed Concord said its latest $1. 25-a-share offer was final.
BAE holds guidance, sees boost from global tensions
Weapons maker BAE Systems held annual guidance and said global geopolitical tensions should boost orders as countries increased defence spending.
Eckoh FY adjusted operating profits 'marginally ahead' of expectations
Data security solutions business Eckoh said on Thursday that adjusted operating profits were "marginally ahead of market expectations" in the year ended 31 March despite seeing full-year revenues decrease.
Nissan profits jump 92%, but China sales fall
Motor manufacturer Nissan said annual profit jumped 92% to 426. 6 billion yen (£2. 1bn), driven by higher sales in all major global markets except China.
US jobless claims hit nine-month high
Americans lined up for unemployment benefits at an accelerated clip in the week ended 4 May, according to the Department of Labor, hitting a nine-month high in the process.
Bank of England stands pat on interest rates
The Bank of England stood pat on interest rates on Thursday at 5. 25%, as widely expected, but suggested cuts could be on their way.
Berenberg slightly raises target price on Helios
Analysts at Berenberg slightly raised their target price on telecommunications tower infrastructure company Helios Towers from 170. 0p to 185. 0p on Thursday, stating the group was now "poised for value creation".
Tertiary Minerals moves towards operations at Mupala
Tertiary Minerals announced on Thursday that its Environmental Project Brief (EPB) for the Mupala Copper Project in Zambia had been approved, paving the way for mineral exploration activities to start.
Syncona reports positive findings from investee Freeline
Life science investor Syncona reported positive findings from its portfolio company Freeline Therapeutics on Thursday, after a phase one and two study of its gene therapy candidate for Gaucher disease, ‘FLT20’, showed encouraging results.
Triple Point reviewing investment management arrangements
Triple Point Social Housing announced an independent review of its investment management arrangements on Thursday, in a bid to enhance shareholder value.