A relatively tempered response from North Korea to US president Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a planned summit helped restore a measure of calm to the markets with the FTSE 100 rising 0.4% to 7,749.70.
The biggest faller on the index is postal firm Royal Mail (RMG), down 4.2% to 522.6p, as investment bank Berenberg cuts its recommendation from ‘hold’ to ‘sell’ with a 460p price target.
Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZN) says the phase III Pacific trial of its lung cancer treatment showed positive overall survival results in lung cancer patients whose disease had not progressed following chemotherapy and radiation. The shares are up 0.9% to £54.73.
Sports betting and gaming group GVC (GVC) reports total group net gaming revenue rose 7% in the first 20 weeks of the year but warned that a recent regulatory change would weigh on future earnings. The uptick in net gaming revenue (NGR) - the amount gained in stakes minus payouts - was supported by strong performance in online revenue. The shares are up 3.7% to £10.19.
Centamin (CEY) slumps 14.4% to 136.4p as it lowers its production guidance for 2018 following persisting low grades in the open pit and lower development grades from underground production at its Sukari gold mine.
Energy utility SSE (SSE) ticks up 0.3% despite announcing a 39% fall in annual profit after it incurred costs upgrading its network business and lost retail customers.
The company lifted its dividend by 3.7% to 94.7p and forecast it to rise again in the current financial year, by 3% to 97.5p.
However, in the 2019/2020 financial year it forecasts the dividend to fall to 80p share then rise in subsequent years in line with retail price index inflation.
Fellow utility, water and waste management group Pennon (PNN), reports annual profit rose by a quarter, owing to regulatory tariff increases, higher customer demand and cost savings.
Pre-tax profit rose 25% to £262.9m, as revenue rose 2.9% to £1.39bn. On an underlying basis, pre-tax profit rose 3.5% to £258.8m. The shares were up 6.9% to 780p. Water provider peer Severn Trent (SVT) is up 1.7% to £20.67.
Medical technology minnow Surgical Innovations (SUN:AIM) falls 17.8% to 3p as it reports delays in the supply of products for its distribution business. This is expected to hit revenue in the current financial year by around 10%.
