Europe close: Stocks hit lowest since June on bond sell-off, oil prices
European stocks dropped sharply on Thursday, falling to their lowest level in nearly four months, as surging oil prices and bond yields dented demand for equities worldwide.
Friday preview: Non-farm payrolls report, Wetherspoons results eyed
Friday will see the release of full-year results from pub chain JD Wetherspoon and the US non-farm payrolls report for September, unemployment rate and average earnings.
London close: Stocks slide as inflation fears fuel bond selloff
London stocks fell sharply on Thursday as worries about inflation fuelled a selloff in bond markets, with UK long-term borrowing costs hitting their highest level in 28 years, and as oil prices rose.
Broker tips: Greggs, Wilmington
Analysts at Berenberg hiked their target price on bakery chain Greggs from 2,200p to 2,300p on Thursday, citing stronger‑than‑expected trading in the third quarter and a modestly improved full‑year outlook.
Accenture shares jump as Q4 results beat own guidance
Accenture shares surged nearly 20% in New York on Thursday after the consulting giant reported stronger fourth-quarter earnings and forecast further revenue growth in the new financial year.
Director dealings: Checkit CEO snaps up shares
Checkit revealed on Thursday that chief executive Kit Kyte had acquired 618,745 ordinary shares in the AIM-listed automated monitoring platform operator.
Galliford Try appointed to new £4.3bn Pagabo civil engineering framework
Construction group Galliford Try said on Thursday that it has been appointed to the new £4. 3bn Pagabo National Framework for Civil Engineering and Infrastructure.
FTSE 250 movers: Recruiters rally; Wickes Breedon, TP Icap go ex-div
FTSE 250 (MCX) 24,393. 59 -0. 60% .
US open: Mixed start on Wall Street as bond yields remain elevated
Wall Street trading got off to a mixed start on Thursday as Treasury yields continued to hover at multi-decade highs.
Eurozone unemployment holds steady in August
Eurozone unemployment was unchanged in August, official data showed on Thursday, although the number of people out of work continued to edge higher.
FTSE 100 movers: Landsec rallies on shopping centre acquisition; Weir, BAT go ex-div
London’s FTSE 100 was down 1. 4% at 10,463. 09 in afternoon on Thursday.
Canaccord Genuity bumps up target price on Wilmington
Canaccord Genuity lifted its target price for Wilmington to 470p from 445p on Thursday, pointing to stronger FY26 delivery, a clearer strategic shift into GRC RegTech services and early outperformance at Conversia.
Interim revenues set to fall at Peel Hunt
British investment bank Peel Hunt said on on Thursday that interim revenues were set to fall, but insisted it was continuing to see "healthy" levels of activity across the business.
Berenberg raises target price on Greggs
Analysts at Berenberg hiked their target price on bakery chain Greggs from 2,200p to 2,300p on Thursday, citing stronger‑than‑expected trading in the third quarter and a modestly improved full‑year outlook.
Asia report: Tokyo, Seoul surge on AI rally; other markets mixed
Stocks in Tokyo and Seoul posted big gains on Thursday as technology shares rallied, bolstered by a bullish outlook from American memory-chip maker Micron and record-high South Korean exports, though losses were registered elsewhere.
Landsec to buy Metrocentre shopping centre near Newcastle for £516m
Landsec said on Thursday that it has agreed to buy the Metrocentre shopping centre near Newcastle for £516m.
Panmure Liberum upgrades Greggs to ‘buy’ after Q3 update
Panmure Liberum upgraded Greggs to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ on Thursday and hiked the price target to 2,440p from 1,560p after the bakery chain’s third-quarter trading update a day earlier.
US initial jobless claims fall to better‑than‑expected 197,000
Americans lined up for unemployment benefits at a decelerated pace in the week ended 26 September, according to the Labor Department, extending recent resilience in the labour market.
Eurozone manufacturing sector gathers pace - PMI
Growth across the Eurozone’s factories accelerated in September, a closely-watched survey showed on Thursday, despite a backdrop of rising inflationary pressures.
Oracle shares rise on reports of massive Tencent AI chip deal
Oracle shares were higher in pre-market trade on Thursday on the back of reports that Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent is to lease 100,000 Oracle chips as it ramps up its AI agenda.