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CORRECT: LONDON MARKET CLOSE: BP fuels FTSE but US data tempers gains
- The FTSE 100 climbed on Tuesday, boosted by positive earnings reports from Smith & Nephew, Diageo, and BP.
- Well-received earnings provided a lift in London, with BP and Diageo among the index heavyweights.
- Oil major BP rose 2.5% after better-than-expected second-quarter results, including a major hydrocarbon discovery in Brazil.
- Diageo climbed 4.3% after full-year results that provided reassurance, despite a decline in net sales and various costs.
- Smith & Nephew was the best performer on the FTSE 100, rising 15% as revenue growth accelerated in the second quarter of 2025.
- In Europe, the CAC 40 fell slightly while the DAX 40 rose; in New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all declined.
- Palantir and Pfizer climbed after raising their annual guidance, but Wall Street fell back overall due to weak US service sector data.
- The pound and euro rose against the dollar, while the yield on the US 10-year Treasury trimmed back.
- On the FTSE 250, Travis Perkins and Rotork rose on positive earnings reports, while Close Brothers continued its climb after a favourable motor finance ruling.
- Brent oil quotes were lower, while gold firmed; the biggest risers on the FTSE 100 included Smith & Nephew, Fresnillo, and Diageo.
- Fallers on the FTSE 100 included Relx, Lloyds Banking Group, and 3i; Wednesday's calendar includes results from Glencore, Hiscox, and Legal & General.
LONDON MARKET CLOSE: BP fuels FTSE 100 but soft US data tempers gains
- The FTSE 100 climbed on Wednesday, boosted by positive earnings reports from Smith & Nephew, Diageo, and BP.
- Strong corporate results showed businesses thriving despite economic turbulence.
- The FTSE 100 index closed 0.2% higher, with the FTSE 250 and AIM All-Share also ending the day in positive territory.
- Well-received earnings provided a lift, with BP and Diageo leading the way.
- Oil major BP rose 2.8% after better-than-expected second-quarter results, despite underlying replacement cost profit being 15% below the previous year.
- Diageo climbed 4.9% after full-year results provided some reassurance, despite a decline in its bottom line.
- Smith & Nephew was the best performer on the FTSE 100, up 15%, as revenue growth accelerated in the second quarter.
- In Europe, the CAC 40 fell slightly while the DAX 40 rose, and Wall Street declined after weak US service sector data.
- The pound and euro rose against the dollar, while the yield on the US 10-year Treasury trimmed.
- Growth in the UK's service sector slowed but beat expectations, with the composite PMI easing.
- On the FTSE 250, Travis Perkins and Rotork rose on positive earnings reports, while Close Brothers continued its climb after a favourable motor finance ruling.
LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: FTSE 100 up as service growth beats consensus
- London stocks were higher on Tuesday, with the FTSE 100, FTSE 250, and AIM All-Share indices all posting gains.
- The EU announced the suspension of retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth €93 billion following a deal last month.
- Service sector growth in the UK slowed in July but beat expectations, and the composite PMI eased.
- The pound was flat against the dollar, while the euro was lower; the dollar traded up against the yen.
- New car registrations in the UK fell by 5% in July, with battery electric vehicles holding a 21% market share.
- Smith & Nephew led the FTSE 100, with a 14% rise after reporting a 43% jump in pretax profit.
- Fresnillo was the second-largest winner on the index, rising 5.5% after revenue and profit jumped.
- Travis Perkins gained 8.4% after reporting an increase in pretax profit.
- Capital Metals slipped 9.1% after a subscription update.
- Stocks in New York were called higher, with the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all expected to open in positive territory.
- Oil and gold prices were quoted lower.
- Upcoming economic data includes US composite PMI and trade balance figures.
LONDON BROKER RATINGS: Kepler cuts Weir; Goldman Sachs raises Lloyds
Here is the list of analyst recommendations in HTML format:
- Date: August 5th, 2025
- Time: 09:31
- Following London-listed shares received analyst recommendations:
- Jefferies raises British American Tobacco price target to 5,200 pence (previous: 4,800 pence) - 'buy'
- Citigroup raises InterContinental Hotels price target to 7,900 pence (7,800) - 'sell'
- UBS raises St James's Place price target to 1,400 pence (1,285) - 'neutral'
- Deutsche Bank Research lowers Taylor Wimpey price target to 122 pence (136) - 'hold'
- Jefferies lowers Segro price target to 677 pence (693) - 'hold'
- UBS raises Weir Group price target to 3,000 pence (2,850) - 'buy'
- Kepler Cheuvreux lowers Weir Group to 'hold' (buy) - price target: 2,700 pence
- RBC raises IMI price target to 2,475 pence (2,300) - 'outperform'
- Deutsche Bank Research raises Antofagasta price target to 2,000 pence (1,950) - 'hold'
- Goldman Sachs raises Pearson price target to 1,515 pence (1,500) - 'buy'
- Goldman Sachs raises Informa price target to 1,130 pence (1,000) - 'buy'
- JPMorgan raises Standard Chartered price target to 1,490 pence (1,390) - 'overweight'
- RBC raises Barclays price target to 435 pence (355) - 'outperform'
- Goldman Sachs upgrades Lloyds Banking to 'buy' (neutral) - price target 99 pence (87)
- Berenberg lowers Clarkson price target to 4,250 pence (4,800) - 'buy'
- RBC lowers Travis Perkins price target to 865 pence (1,050) - 'outperform'
- Deutsche Bank lowers Auction Technology price target to 815 pence (910) - 'buy'
- JPMorgan lowers Auction Technology price target to 710 pence (725) - 'overweight'
- Berenberg lowers Auction Technology price target to 560 pence (660) - 'buy'
- Deutsche Bank Research raises Senior price target to 220 pence (195) - 'buy'
- Deutsche Bank Research lowers AO World to 'hold' (buy) - price target 105 pence (135)
- Berenberg raises Mitie Group price target to 175 pence (165) - 'buy'
- JPMorgan lowers Spire Healthcare price target to 303 pence (309) - 'overweight'
- Citigroup raises Oxford Nanopore price target to 240 pence (180) - 'buy'
- Berenberg raises Elementis price target to 200 pence (185) - 'buy'
- Keefe Bruyette & Woods upgrades Bank of Ireland to 'outperform' - price target: 14.40 EUR
- JPMorgan lowers International Paper to 'neutral' (overweight) - price target $54 ($55)
- Berenberg lowers Resolute Mining price target to 46 pence (47) - 'buy'
LONDON MARKET OPEN: European stocks open higher ahead of PMI readings
- European stocks opened higher on Tuesday, with the FTSE 100, FTSE 250, and CAC 40 indices all posting gains.
- The previous day, Wall Street also ended higher, with the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all posting gains.
- Smith & Nephew led the FTSE 100, reporting a 43% increase in pretax profit for the first half of 2025.
- Cap-XX, a designer of supercapacitors, rose 22% after securing a project with a major semiconductor chip manufacturer.
- Domino's Pizza tumbled 19% as pretax profit fell 32% due to weak consumer sentiment and lower-than-expected store openings.
- The pound was quoted higher against the US dollar, while the euro stood lower.
- Asian markets also posted gains, with the Nikkei 225, Shanghai Composite, Hang Seng, and S&P/ASX 200 all ending the day in positive territory.
- Oil prices fell while gold prices rose slightly.
- Investors awaited composite PMI readings, UK new car sales, and US trade balance data for further market direction.
LONDON MARKET EARLY CALL: London called higher after Wall Street rally
- London's FTSE 100 is expected to open higher on Tuesday, following positive trends in US and Asian markets.
- Futures predict a 0.4% increase in the FTSE 100 index, continuing Monday's gains.
- Wall Street saw significant gains on Monday, with the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all ending higher.
- Market sentiment is influenced by expectations of Fed rate cuts and improving economic data.
- Oil prices and Treasury yields showed minor declines, while gold prices remained steady.
- Asian markets, including Japan, China, and Australia, posted gains on Tuesday.
- China's services sector expanded, but manufacturing contracted, resulting in a mixed composite PMI.
- Japan's business activity grew, driven by the services sector, with an increase in the composite PMI.
- Tuesday's corporate calendar includes results from BP, Fresnillo, and Diageo.
- Economic data releases for Tuesday include composite PMI readings, UK new car sales, and US trade balance figures.
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