17 March 2021 | 16:37pm
StockMarketWire.com - The FTSE 100 closed down 0.6% to 6,762.67 as bond market jitters returned ahead of a key meeting of the US Federal Reserve. By 4.30pm UK time the US S&P 500 index was itself down 0.4% to 3,945.39.
Any sign that the Fed might ease off on its dovish stance on interest rates would indicate the US economy was on the mend, but could spook markets grown accustomed to an abundance of cheap credit.
Fantasy miniatures group Games Workshop fell 7.3% to £94.35 after a brief update which confirmed a dividend payment to shareholders but said trading would be in line subject to notwithstanding store closures and distribution disruption .
8 March 2021 | 12:10pm
StockMarketWire.com - The FTSE 100 was up 0.2% to 6,644.30 by midday, amid volatility in the oil price after attacks on Saudi Arabian facilities over the weekend and continuing nervousness about inflation.
Educational publisher and services group Pearson gained 5.5% to 801.6p as it posted a rise in annual profit owing to the sale of a stake in publisher Penguin Random House and lower restructuring charges.
Pearson s underlying earnings, however, fell after the pandemic led to school closures and disrupted exam schedules. The company held its annual dividend steady at 19.5p per share and also announced a new strategy.
Enterprise software group Micro Focus International slumped 4.7% to 466.3p after a jury ruled against it in a US patent infringement case.