Market News Feed
ALL-MARKETS
Default all-market view
AI Daily 5 entries
LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Stocks buoyed by Tesco and welcome GDP surprise
- FTSE 100 rose 0.3% to 10,589.99, boosted by UK growth figures, strong trading updates, and Wall Street highs.
- UK monthly GDP grew by 0.5% in February, exceeding expectations, but Deutsche Bank warns of sluggish growth ahead due to energy shock impacts.
- Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey stated no rush to hike interest rates in response to the energy crisis.
- European equities mixed: CAC 40 flat, DAX 40 up 0.4%; US markets higher with S&P 500 and Nasdaq hitting record highs.
- Oil prices resumed upward trend, Brent at $98.39/barrel; US threatens Iranian port blockade and strikes if no deal is reached.
- Pound weakened against USD and EUR; euro also lower against USD.
- FTSE 100 top performers: Intertek (+9.0%), Entain (+6.0%), Tesco (+4.7%), BP (+3.9%).
- FTSE 250 standout: Morgan Sindall (+7.5%) raised profit outlook; easyJet (-5.0%) warned of larger losses from higher fuel costs.
- Animalcare Group accepted £235.2 million takeover bid, shares jumped 35%.
- Gold stable at $4,802.13/ounce.
LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Stocks move higher on conflict resolution hope
- Stock prices in London rose midday on April 16, 2026, supported by strong UK growth figures and cautious Middle East optimism.
- FTSE 100 increased by 0.5% to 10,611.77, FTSE 250 by 0.9% to 22,857.14, and AIM all-share by 0.1% to 796.70.
- European equities saw modest gains: CAC 40 (+0.4%), DAX 40 (+0.5%).
- Trump announced Israel-Lebanon talks, first since 1993, aiming to ease tensions.
- UK GDP grew 0.5% in Q1 2026, exceeding expectations of 0.3%.
- Intertek shares jumped 9.9% after rejecting EQT’s acquisition proposal.
- Tesco shares rose 1.9% on strong earnings, increased free cash flow guidance, and new GBP500 million cost-saving target.
- Dunelm fell 3.9% despite sales growth, citing softer March performance and Middle East uncertainty.
- Entain surged 6.5% on strong Q1 revenue and reaffirmed annual guidance.
- easyJet dropped 5.0% due to expected wider first-half loss from Middle East conflict and market competition.
- CAB Payments climbed 11% on potential acceptance of StoneX’s GBP287 million offer.
- Animalcare Group shares jumped 34% after accepting Charterhouse’s GBP235.2 million takeover bid.
- Commodities: Brent crude rose to USD96.18/barrel, gold to USD4,810.68/ounce.
LONDON BROKER RATINGS: UBS raises BP; Berenberg cuts Antofagasta
- 16th Apr 2026 09:55
- The following London-listed shares received analyst recommendations Thursday morning and on Wednesday:
- FTSE 100
- Barclays cuts Barratt Redrow price target to 482 (490) pence - 'overweight'
- UBS cuts Barratt Redrow price target to 432 (470) pence - 'buy'
- UBS raises BP to 'buy' (neutral) - price target 700 (650) pence
- Berenberg cuts Antofagasta to 'hold' (buy) - price target 3,700 pence
- Goldman Sachs cuts Antofagasta price target to 3,900 (4,000) pence - 'buy'
- Citigroup cuts St James's Place price target to 1,810 (1,870) pence - 'buy'
- Barclays raises Halma price target to 4,930 (4,550) pence - 'overweight'
- FTSE 250
- Panmure Liberum cuts Dunelm Group price target to 810 (830) pence - 'sell'
- UBS cuts Bytes Technology to 'neutral' (buy) - price target 305 (415) pence
- Citigroup cuts Quilter price target to 190 (200) pence - 'neutral'
- RBC cuts Atalaya Mining price target to 1,075 (1,125) pence - 'sector perform'
- Jefferies raises Ceres Power price target to 480 (460) pence - 'buy'
- SMALL CAP
- Jefferies cuts Severfield price target to 40 (41) pence - 'buy'
- Stifel starts Tristel with 'buy' - price target 460 pence
- Barclays cuts Flutter Entertainment price target to 12,900 (16,700) pence - 'overweight'
- Goldman Sachs starts Kingspan with 'neutral' - price target 80 EUR
- Related Shares:
LONDON MARKET OPEN: Shares rise as UK GDP beats expectations
- London stock prices opened higher on 16th April 2026, supported by strong UK GDP data and positive corporate earnings, despite Middle East tensions.
- FTSE 100 index rose 0.3%, FTSE 250 gained 0.6%, and AIM all-share increased 0.2%.
- UK economic growth acceleratedated in February 2026, exceeding expectationsations with 0.5% GDP rise in three months to February.
- Services sector drove growth, while construction output declined.
- Mixed UK trade data in February, with higher imports outweighing export decline.
- Pound slightly weaker against USD and EUR.
- Iran war remains in focus, with potential talks and ongoing tensions affecting markets.
- Brent crude oil prices rose to USD95.76 per barrel.
- Tesco shares surged 3.3% on strong earnings and dividend increase.
- Entain rose 4.0% after reiterating outlook, while ConvaTec Group fell due to ex-dividend paymentsment.
- easyJet shares Fell 1.4% Due to Middle East conflict uncertainty.
- Ashmore Group dropped 6.5% on emerginging markets outflows and investor sentiment.
- Beauty Tech Group Rose 2.0% On Strong 2025 Results And 2026 Outlook.
- Asian Markets Mixed, with Nikkei 225 up 2.4%, Shanghai Composite Up 0.7%, And Hang Seng Up 1.5%.
- US Wall Street Mixed On Wednesday, With Dow Jones Down 0.2%, S&P 500 Up 0.8%, And Nasdaq Up 1.6%.
- Gold Prices Rose To USD4,823.54 An Ounce.
- Eurozone CPI, US Weekly Jobless Claimss, US Industrial Productionation, And US EIA Natural Gas Stocks Due On Thursday.
LONDON MARKET EARLY CALL: FTSE 100 seen lower ahead of UK GDP data
- London stocks expected to open lower on Thursday due to Middle East tensions and ahead of UK economic data.
- FTSE 100 futures indicate a 0.1% decline to 10,550.68, following a 0.5% drop on Wednesday.
- US tightens sanctions on Iran's oil industry, targeting transport infrastructure linked to shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani.
- US and Iran discuss potential second round of peace talks in Pakistan, with optimism for a deal despite ongoing tensions.
- Brent oil trades at USD94.93/barrel, slightly lower than Wednesday's close.
- US Treasury Secretary confirms no extension of temporary waiver for Russian oil sales.
- Sterling weakens against USD and EUR, while the euro strengthens slightly against USD.
- UK economic data expected at 0700 BST, with GDP forecast to rise 0.1% MoM in February.
- US markets ended mixed on Wednesday, with Nasdaq up 1.6% and Dow down 0.2%.
- Asian equities positive on Thursday, led by Nikkei 225 (+2.2%) and Hang Seng (+1.2%), boosted by China's stronger-than-expected GDP growth of 5.0% YoY.
- Australian S&P/ASX 200 closes down 0.4% amid mixed labor and spending data.
- Gold rises to USD4,833.95/ounce, up from Wednesday's close.
- Corporate calendar includes trading statements from Ashmore Group, Dunelm Group, Hays, and Rentokil Initial, with Tesco reporting full-year results.
- Economic calendar highlights: UK GDP, trade balance, industrial production, eurozone CPI, US jobless claims, and US industrial production.
All Market News Today 508 headlines
ATR
16:08
Schroders Investment Trusts - Schroder Asian Total Return Investment Company plc
LMP
13:29
LondonMetric Property Plc
SPI
13:22
Spire Healthcare Group Plc
IPF
13:18
International Personal Finance PLC
BLND
13:17
British Land Company PLC
BSIF
13:16
Bluefield Solar Income Fund
FCH
11:24
Funding Circle Holdings PLC
MTRO
09:18
Metro Bank PLC
NAS
08:43
North Atlantic Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC
AI 0 headlines
Acquisitions 3 headlines
Agreement 0 headlines
Approvals 0 headlines
Authorisation 0 headlines
Awards 0 headlines
BTC 0 headlines
Blockchain 0 headlines
Breakthrough 0 headlines
BuyBack 0 headlines
Cancellations 3 headlines
CashOffer 0 headlines
Collaborate 0 headlines
ContractWin 0 headlines
Covid-19 0 headlines
Deals 0 headlines
Diamond 0 headlines
DirectorDealing 37 headlines
Discovery 0 headlines
Exceeded 0 headlines
FCA 0 headlines
FDA 0 headlines
Grants 0 headlines
InvestmentPlan 0 headlines
JV 0 headlines
Launch 0 headlines
Litigation 0 headlines
NewContract 3 headlines
Offers 6 headlines
Offtake 0 headlines
Orders 2 headlines
Partner 0 headlines
Patents 1 headlines
Placing 2 headlines
Positive 0 headlines
Proposals 0 headlines
Reports 12 headlines
FCH
11:24
Funding Circle Holdings PLC
Results 18 headlines
Significant 0 headlines
Speculation 0 headlines
Strategic 0 headlines
Suspension 0 headlines
TR1 60 headlines
Takeover 0 headlines
Understanding 0 headlines
Updates 30 headlines
NAS
08:43
North Atlantic Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC