Europe close: Stocks stage late recovery to close in the green
European stocks returned to positive territory by the close on Thursday, recovering from earlier losses even as Israel undermined a US-backed ceasefire agreement with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia within hours of it being announced.
Friday preview: Non-farm payrolls in the spotlight
There are no FTSE 350 corporate releases due on Friday, so investors will turn their attention to the non-farm payrolls report, average earnings and unemployment rate for May.
London close: Late rally pushes Footsie higher as oil prices retreat
London’s blue chip index erased earlier losses to push higher by the close of play on Thursday as oil prices fell, while investors digested yet more tumultuous newsflow from the Middle East.
Broker tips: Endeavour Mining, ICG
Analysts at RBC Capital Markets cut their target price on gold miner Endeavour Mining from 6,000p to 5,100p on Thursday, after lowering its gold price assumptions for 2026 and 2027.
Financier Lex Greensill banned from UK director posts for nine years
Australian sugar farmer turned financier Lex Greensill has been banned from acting as a company director in the UK for nine years for his role in the collapse of his Greensill Capital group.
Director dealings: Pantheon Resources chairman significantly raises stake
Pantheon Resources revealed on Thursday that non-executive chairman Michael Spencer had five million ordinary shares in the AIM-listed oil and gas exploration and development firm.
Brown-Forman beats forecasts with Q4 results, expects flat FY27 sales
Shares in Brown-Forman were on the rise on Thursday after the Jack Daniel's maker beat forecasts with its fourth-quarter sales, helped by solid sales of its premium brands, though the company delivered an uncertain outlook for the current year.
US open: Dow jumps, Nasdaq slips as traders track US-Iran flare‑up
Wall Street trading got off to a mixed start on Thursday as market participants remained locked in on Middle East developments.
FTSE 100 movers: Asia-focused banks tumble; JD Sports in the black
London’s FTSE 100 was down 0. 1% at 10,325. 79 in afternoon trade on Thursday.
UK stocks hit as Beijing cracks down on capital outflows
Shares some of the UK’s biggest financial stocks tumbled on Thursday, on reports banks were restricting investment accounts following moves by Beijing to crack down on capital outflows.
CMC Markets sees 2027 operating income above forecasts, shares surge
Shares in CMC Markets surged almost 20% on Thursday as the financial services company said it expected fiscal 2027 net operating income to beat forecasts after posting a rise in profits for the 12 months to March 31.
Berenberg cuts target price on ICG, reiterates 'buy' rating
Berenberg lowered its target price on private capital asset manager ICG from 2,800p to 2,670p on Thursday, but also argued the 'buy'-rate stock had been "unfairly caught up in sector readacross".
Ceres Power tumbles after Panmure downgrade to ‘sell’
Ceres Power tumbled on Thursday after Panmure Liberum downgraded the shares to ‘sell’ from ‘buy’.
Quantinuum makes $1.7bn debut on Nasdaq
Quantinuum raised $1. 68bn on Thursday after the quantum computing specialist debuted on Wall Street.
US initial jobless claims come in ahead of expectations at 225,000
Americans lined up for unemployment benefits at an accelerated clip in the week ended 30 May, according to the Department of Labor, hitting the highest initial claim count since February.
Amazon unveils €10bn investment in Europe, creating 25,000 jobs
Amazon announced on Thursday that it plans to invest €10bn to expand and upgrade its fulfilment centres across Europe with next-gen robotics while creating 25,000 more jobs over the coming years.
Citi upgrades Puma to ‘buy’, shares spark
Puma shot higher on Thursday after Citi upgraded the sportswear brand to ‘buy’ from ‘neutral’ and hiked the price target to €35 from €27. 50.
US job cuts jump to 97,000 in May as AI‑related layoffs surge
US employers announced 97,006 job cuts in May, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, up from 83,387 in April for the highest monthly total since January.
US pre-open: Futures mixed as Middle East tensions remain in focus
Wall Street futures were mixed ahead of the open on Thursday as market participants remained locked in on Middle East tensions.