Market Pulse
Lekoil makes CFO, non-exec appointments
Nigeria and West Africa-focussed oil and gas exploration and production company Lekoil announced the appointment of Lisa Mitchell as its chief financial officer with immediate effect on Monday morning, following the resignation of Bruce Burrows who reportedly decided to pursue another opportunity to better fit family circumstances.
UK manufacturing PMI drops to 55.9 in September, misses views
Growth in the UK's manufacturing sector eased back more than expected in September, according to figures released on Monday.
Numis makes good full-year trading progress
Numis Corporation issued a trading update for the year to 30 September on Monday, reporting that its second half trading performance was “very strong”, recording revenue 47% higher than the first half of 2017 and 38% higher than the second half of 2016.
Assura increases rent rolls with 75 acquisitions in first half
Assura, the UK healthcare property developer, accelerated the rate of its investment in past six months and said it had a strong pipeline of future acquisitions and developments.
JP Morgan cuts estimates for Ryanair as pilots form union to strengthen position
On Monday, JP Morgan Cazenove said that as a result of Ryanair's decision to cancel more than 50 flights per day on 17 September the investment bank had cut the low-cost carrier's net income estimates for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 by 5%.
Mountfield wins another contract with 'leading' telecoms provider
AIM-listed Mountfield Group has been awarded a further contract with a "leading" UK telecoms provider and long-standing client, with a value of £1. 65m.
Monarch Airlines collapses to leave 110,000 passengers stranded abroad
Monarch Airlines has ceased trading with immediate effect, leaving 110,000 passengers stranded abroad and roughly 300,000 future bookings cancelled.
XP Power buys US-based Comdel for $23m
XP Power has acquired US-based Comdel, a designer and manufacturer of radio frequency power supplies, for $23m in cash on a debt-free and cash-free basis.
Aggreko slumps as Berenberg downgrades to 'sell'
Temporary power provider Aggreko was under the cosh on Monday after Berenberg downgraded the stock to 'sell' from 'hold' and cut the price target to 770p from 800p saying the latest re-rating was unjustified.
London open: Stocks in the black as housebuilders rally
London stocks edged higher in early trade on Monday, underpinned by a strong performance in the housebuilding sector as investors looked ahead to the latest reading on UK manufacturing.
Hiscox estimates hurricane claims at $225m
Hiscox said on Monday that net claims from hurricanes Harvey and Irma were likely to total around $225mm based on an insured market loss of $35bn.
Tritax Big Box agrees to buy £49m Royal Mail site from LondonMetric
Tritax Big Box has exchanged contracts with LondonMetric to acquire a national distribution centre on Danes Way at the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal in Northamptonshire, currently let to Royal Mail Group, the two firms announced on Monday.
NEX Group warns on lower first-half margins
Electronic trading services provider NEX Group has warned that first-half profit margins will be hit by increased investment in its Optimisations business and ongoing low volatility on its Reset business.
Kaz Minerals Aktogay sulphide plant declared commercial.
Kaz Minerals said on Monday that following continued commissioning progress, the Aktogay sulphide plant has been declared commercial.
Vodafone signs fibre deal with NOS in Portugal
Vodafone Group announced on Monday that its Vodafone Portugal division, and Portuguese telecommunications and media conglomerate NOS, have signed an agreement to deploy and share a fibre-to-the-home network which would be marketable to around 2. 6 million homes and businesses in Portugal.
Monday newspaper round-up: Catalan fallout, Monarch, EU banks, Nisa
Riot police who bludgeoned, kicked and fired rubber bullets at voters taking part in an illegal referendum in Catalonia yesterday acted within the law, the Spanish prime minister said. In a day of violence unprecedented in modern Spanish history, 850 people were hurt, three seriously, according to the Catalan authorities. Riot police fired baton rounds in Barcelona and beat pro-independence supporters trying to stop them confiscating ballot boxes. - The Times.
London pre-open: Stocks seen slightly higher on positive China data
London stocks were set for a slightly firmer open on Monday as investors digested some encouraging Chinese data over the weekend.
Indivior applies for US FDA approval for schizophrenia drug, buys rival patent rights
Indivior has submitted a new drug application in the US for a once-monthly injectable schizophrenia treatment and agreed to buy out patent rights from a manufacturer of similar antipsychotic medication.