Leading UK stocks reversed earlier gains to fall at the finish on Monday, with the FTSE 100 retreating but managing to stay above 7,000 by the skin of its teeth. The UK’s benchmark lost 0.3% to end the day at 7,000.08, while the FTSE 250 nudged 0.1% lower to close at 22,490.86, easing off its record finish on Friday. It was a largely dull day for company news with attention very much grabbed ...

A quiet morning for UK shares belies the action and outrage in the football world, and thousands of investors will be closely watching Wall Street’s opening bell to see how Manchester United’s New York-listed stock trades after the ructions of its decision to join a breakaway European Super League. Shares in Italian club Juventus, also one of the breakaway dozen, saw its stock jump 14% on ...

Shares in diagnostics firms Genedrive (GDR:AIM) and Yourgene Health (YGEN:AIM) were in demand on Monday after announcing success with their respective tenders into Public Health England’s National Microbiology Framework for diagnostic goods and services. The framework agreement which is worth up to £3 billion opened in November 2020 and sought to appoint suppliers of clinical laboratory ...

Shares in shareholder services firm Equiniti (EQN) climbed 15% to 159p after it received an unsolicited bid approach from private equity firm Siris Capital. MATURE BUSINESS The Siris offer, at 170p per share in cash, sets out what it describes as ‘a highly deliverable process and timetable to allow it to make a binding proposal’ under the Takeover Code. Founded in 2011, Siris Capital ...

Shares in FTSE 100 chemicals group Johnson Matthey (JMAT) gained 1.2% to £32.24 after it revealed a number of ‘significant strategic developments’ in the commercialization of its battery material for electric vehicles. The firm has partnered with Finnish Minerals Group to support development of a second commercial plant in Finland to develop its enhanced lithium nickel oxide ...

Confirmation that FTSE 350 oil and gas firm Energean (ENOG) intends to pay a maiden dividend next year weren’t enough to support the shares which fell 3.3% to 828.5p on a widened loss for 2020. For the year ended 31 December, pre-tax losses widened from $113.6 million a year earlier to $404.3 million as revenue fell 63% to $28 million. Working interest production averaged 3,600 barrels of ...

UK stocks made modest gains in early trading on Monday, edging higher as investors continued to bet on a global economic recovery with vaccine rollouts gathering pace. By 8.32 am, London’s FTSE 100 was up 0.06% at 7,023.92 points, consolidating its position above 7,000 as investors balanced reopening optimism with a need to take stock following recent gains, while the FTSE 250 crept ...

The FTSE closed higher on Friday reaching its highest level since October 2019 as a raft of positive economic data was released in the US and China. US new homes increased 19.4% in March, the biggest monthly gain since 2006 during the housing bubble. The University of Michigan consumer confidence was higher showing increasing consumer confidence, although the reading of 86.5 was below ...

London’s FTSE 100 added to gains at midday Friday as investors cheered signs that the global recovery remains on track following data showing China’s economy grew at record pace in the first quarter. FTSE 100 miners and oil producers were in demand after China reported year-on-year GDP growth of 18.3% in the first quarter of 2021, giving investors greater optimism in terms of the outlook for ...

Digital transition services and software company Kainos (KNOS) closed its full year in style after telling investors that trading for the year to 31 March 2021 will come in towards the top current market expectations. Consensus earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation forecasts had been pitched in a range of £57.6 million to £61 million on £229.6 million to £231.5 ...