London stocks rose in early trade on Tuesday, helped along by solid performances from the likes of HSBC and Coca-Cola HBC, as investors eyed the start of the Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting.
Hospitality group Whitbread has announced a £150m share buyback and beefed up its dividend after seeing its bottom line jump by more than a third in the year to 29 February, as it unveiled plans to cut jobs as it turns underperforming restaurants into more hotels.
Prudential described a robust first-quarter performance in an update on Tuesday, with new business profit increasing by 11%, reaching $810m across diverse geographical markets.
Activist investor Gatemore Capital Management said on Monday that Elementis was an attractive company that has "lost its direction" as it called for the chief executive to be replaced.