8 March 2021 | 08:41am
StockMarketWire.com - UK stocks opened higher on Monday after the US Senate passed a $1.9 trillion stimulus package and oil prices rose due to attacks on facilities in Saudi Arabia.
At 0828, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 29.98 points, or 0.5%, at 6,660.50.
BP gained 1.8% to 324.44p and Shell gained 1.8% to £15.76 after Brent crude rose above $70 a barrel.
Educational publisher and services group Pearson shed 2.7% to 739.8p, even 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.
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.
3 March 2021 | 08:42am
StockMarketWire.com - UK stocks opened more than 1% higher on Wednesday as progress on Covid vaccines and US stimulus continued to fuel hopes the global economy was on the mend.
At 0825, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 70.78 points, or 1.1%, at 6,684.62.
Insurance company Hiscox tumbled 13% to 856.79p after it swung to a $268.5 million annual pre-tax loss, driven by event cancellation and business interruption claims owing to the pandemic.
Hiscox said it decided not to declare a final dividend, but would consider resuming payments in 2021 when it published interim results.
House builder Persimmon rose 0.3% to £27.17, even as it reported a 25% fall in annual profit and slashed its dividend to 110p per share, after construction markets were battered by the pandemic.