FTSE 100 Edges Higher On Earnings Boost

RTTNews | 762 days ago
FTSE 100 Edges Higher On Earnings Boost

(RTTNews) - U.K. stocks eked out modest gains on Thursday after clothing retailer Next Plc raised its pre-tax profit forecast for the current year, defying gloom about weakening consumption and the U.K.'s cost-of-living crisis.

Next Plc shares jumped 7.5 percent, while the benchmark FTSE 100 was up 23 points, or 0.3 percent, at 7,607.

Bakery chain Greggs gained about 1 percent after reporting strong double-digit growth in its fourth-quarter sales.

Galliford Try Holdings fell 1.5 percent. The construction group said it has won a £95mln contract to deliver a new prison facility at HMP Rye Hill, near Rugby in Warwickshire.

B&M European Value Retail advanced 1.3 percent. The variety discounter announced a special dividend after reporting an uptick in sales in its third quarter.

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Swiss Market Ends On Firm Note

Swiss Market Ends On Firm Note

After struggling for direction till an hour before noon, the Switzerland market started to climb higher on Wednesday, as investors pickup stocks, reacting to earnings updates.
RTTNews | 8h 7min ago
U.S. Services Index Unexpectedly Indicates Modestly Slower Growth In January

U.S. Services Index Unexpectedly Indicates Modestly Slower Growth In January

Service sector growth in the U.S. unexpectedly slowed modestly in the month of January, according to a report released by the Institute for Supply Management on Wednesday. The ISM said its services PMI dipped to 52.8 in January from a revised 54.0 in December. While a reading above 50 still indicates growth, economists had expected the index to inch up to 54.3.
RTTNews | 11h 26min ago
U.S. Trade Deficit Spikes To Over Two-Year High In December

U.S. Trade Deficit Spikes To Over Two-Year High In December

A report released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday showed the U.S. trade deficit widened significantly in December, as imports surged and exports plunged. The Commerce Department said the trade deficit spiked to $98.4 billion in December from a revised $78.9 billion in November. Economists had expected the trade deficit to jump to $96.6 billion.
RTTNews | 11h 56min ago
U.S. Private Sector Job Growth Exceeds Estimates In January

U.S. Private Sector Job Growth Exceeds Estimates In January

Payroll processor ADP released a report on Wednesday showing private sector employment in the U.S. increased by more than expected in the month of January. ADP said private sector employment climbed by 183,000 jobs in January after rising by an upwardly revised 176,000 jobs in December. Economists had expected private sector employment to rise by 150,000 jobs.
RTTNews | 12h 45min ago