Market Report
Thursday preview: Sky, Hays, N Brown and WH Smith all report
Thursday should be the busiest day yet of London's autumn reporting season, with quarterly updates from Sky and Hays, together with final results from WH Smith and interim from N Brown.
London close: Stocks little changed ahead of FOMC minutes
London stocks ended a touch lower on Wednesday in a pretty listless session, as investors awaited the release of the minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee's September policy meeting, after the close.
Europe close: Spanish stocks extend bounce
European stocks finished little changed ahead of the release of the minutes of the US central bank's last policy meeting amid news that the Spanish government has asked officials in Catalonia to explicitly clarify their position.
SDX Energy reports oil discovery at Morocco Sebou permit
A gas discovery has been made at SDX Energy's KSR-14 development well on the Sebou permit in Morocco, in which the company has a 75% working interest.
Coca-Cola HBC downgraded by Jefferies after recent outperformance
Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Co has been downgraded by analysts at Jefferies, with the investment banking firm reducing its rating to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’.
Compagnie St-Gobain reinforces mortars business with Megaflex acquisition
French multinational Compagnie de Sain-Gobain (COD) announced on Wednesday that it had acquired Argentinean construction supply firm Megaflex through Weber, its mortars business.
Director dealings: Frontera CEO picks up stock as funds raised for drilling
Zaza Mamulaishvili, president and chief executive officer of European focused oil and gas explorer and producer Frontera Resources, has bought almost £1m worth shares of the AIM-quoted company.
FTSE 250 movers: Dunelm rallies as sales rise; Pagegroup under pressure
London's FTSE 250 was up 0. 1% to 20,163. 11 in afternoon trade on Wednesday, with Dunelm in the lead after a well-received update.
Veltyco enters partnership with Esports Radar
Gaming industry online marketing company Veltyco Group announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a partnership agreement with Esports Radar, a newly incorporated company in Malta, focusing on rolling out a new esports business.
Zoltav reveals disappointing drilling results from Bortovoy
Russia-focussed oil and gas exploration and production company Zoltav updated the market on its operations on the Bortovoy licence in Saratov on Wednesday, after it claimed it was reevaluating the forward drilling programme for the Permian Basin in its half-year report on 26 September.
FTSE 100 movers: Smith & Nephew rallies on Elliott reports; Mondi tanks on warning
London's FTSE 100 was flat at 7,535. 52 in afternoon trade on Wednesday as investors eyed the release of the latest FOMC minutes.
Focus on channels sees solid revenue growth at Quiz
Fast fashion womenswear brand Quiz announced a 35% year-on-year increase in group revenue to £56. 1m for the six months to 30 September in a trading update on Wednesday, while its gross margins remained in-line with expectations.
Altus Strategies signs letter of intent to acquire Legend Gold
Africa-focussed exploration project generation firm Altus Strategies announced on Wednesday that it has signed a non-binding letter of intent with Legend Gold.
Universe begins rolling out next-gen forecourt payment system
Point-of-sale, payment and online loyalty systems developer and supplier Universe Group announced on Wednesday that it has commenced the rollout of its new ‘Gempay 3’ payment solution to fuel forecourts.
Government confirms GBP0.5bn of clean energy funds for next CFD auction
Green energy developers will be able to compete for up to £557m of government funding in electricity auctions planned by the government to boost "less established" renewable energy.
Deltic makes no offer for Revolution, clears way for Stonegate
Nightclub owner Deltic has decided not to make a formal offer for Revolution Bars before the deadline, meaning the path is now clear for Slug and Lettuce owner Stonegate to crack on with its takeover.
Ultra Electronics wins £9m contract at Heathrow airport
Ultra Electronics has won a £9m baggage management software contract with the Airline Operators Committee at Heathrow Airport.
JPEL collects $29m from Accela acquisition
Guernsey-based private equity firm JPEL announced on Wednesday that it had received an internal rate of return (IRR) of roughly 35% as a result of Berkshire Partners' acquisition of governmental software group Accela on 29 September.
Corero signs resell partnership agreement with US firm
Corero Network Security announced on Wednesday that it has signed a resell partnership agreement with an unnamed leading US-based global cloud DDoS service provider.
Steppe Cement reports drop in year-to-date sales volumes
Steppe Cement announced a sharp rise in third quarter revenue growth on Wednesday despite a drop in sales volumes for the year-to-date.