US open: Major indices fall as swelling US trade deficit, mixed data weigh
Major indices were in the red early on Thursday after the Bureau of Economic Analysis revealed the US had recorded its third biggest trade deficit on record in 2025.
Klarna swings to loss, shares tumble
Klarna tanked on Thursday after the ‘buy now, pay later’ firm said it swung to a full-year loss despite a jump in revenues.
London close: FTSE 100 retreats from record as oil prices jump
UK stocks pulled back from record highs on Thursday as oil prices hit a seven-month high amid rising geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran.
Europe close: Markets fall on raft of earnings, US data
European stocks closed lower on Thursday as investors digested a fresh wave of corporate earnings and assessed minutes from the US Federal Reserve that revealed divisions over the future path of interest rates, with geopolitical tensions also keeping sentiment fragile.
Friday preview: Anglo American results, UK retail sales due
Friday sees the release of results from Anglo American, Segro and TBC Bank, as well as UK retail sales figures.
Hims & Hers to buy Australian digital health firm Eucalyptus in $1.15bn deal
Hims & Hers Health said on Thursday that it has agreed to buy Australian digital health firm Eucalyptus in a $1. 15bn deal.
Broker tips: Haleon, Dunelm
Analysts at Berenberg slightly lowered their target price on consumer health business Haleon from 517p to 510p on Thursday, stating that 2026 should represent "a turning point" in the group's evolution into a consumer-centric business.
FTSE 250 movers: Oil stocks jump on crude price rally amid Iran tensions
FTSE 250 (MCX) 23,578. 92 -0. 45%.
Berenberg slightly lowers target price on Haleon
Analysts at Berenberg slightly lowered their target price on consumer health business Haleon from 517p to 510p on Thursday, stating that 2026 should represent "a turning point" in the group's evolution into a consumer-centric business.
Wayfair shares tank on weaker customer numbers
Wayfair's share price dropped nearly 12% on Thursday despite the online furniture retailer beating profit estimates in the fourth quarter, as active customer numbers slipped year-on-year.
Mandelson's advisory firm Global Counsel to go into administration - report
Global Counsel, the advisory firm founded by Peter Mandelson, is reportedly set to go into administration as soon as Friday following revelations about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Director dealings: Sage Group director makes share purchase
Sage Group revealed on Thursday that non-executive director Lori Mitchell-Keller had acquired 10,000 ordinary shares in the FTSE 100-listed software firm.
US pending home sales down 0.8pc in January
US pending home sales slipped in January, according to the National Association of Realtors, falling 0. 8% from December.
Mondi shares rise as firm cuts divi, capex amid tough conditions
Paper and packaging group Mondi slashed its dividend after a 29% slump in annual profits in 2025 and pointed to further declines in paper prices over the first quarter, though shares rose as investors welcomed a cut to capital expenditure guidance this year.
Centrica pauses buyback as full-year profits drop
Centrica shares slumped on Thursday after the British Gas owner said it was pausing its share buyback programme as it reported a decline in full-year operating profit in a "challenging environment", with guidance from the energy firm also disappointing.
FTSE 100 movers: Centrica, Rio slide on results; Relx rallies
London’s FTSE 100 was down 0. 8% at 10,602. 33 in afternoon trade on Thursday, dragged lower by Centrica and Rio Tinto.
Norway’s Blastr in the running to buy Speciality Steels UK - report
Norwegian green steel group Blastr is reportedly in the running to buy Speciality Steels UK (SSUK), Britain's third-biggest producer of the metal, six months after it collapsed into liquidation.
US wholesale inventories up 0.2pc in December
US wholesale inventories rose by 0. 2% month-on-month to $917. 2bn in December, according to preliminary figures from the Census Bureau, matching November's reading and in line with market forecasts.
US trade shortfall balloons in December, far exceeding forecasts
The US trade deficit widened sharply in December, rising 32. 6% to $70. 3bn from $53bn in November and coming in well above expectations for a $55. 5bn shortfall, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index rises to 16.3 in February
Manufacturing conditions in the Philadelphia region improved in February, with the Philly Fed's headline index rising to 16. 3 from 10. 1, its strongest reading since September and well above the 8. 5 expected by economists.