WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks held steady on Thursday as speculation grew that a Brexit trade deal was imminent. A stronger pound was keeping gains in check. The benchmark FTSE 100 was marginally
European Shares Extend Gains For Third Day
BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks were moving higher for the third day running on Thursday as the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine propped up hopes that the economic recovery can gain momentum next year.
While Western nations accelerated vaccination programs, the European Union is preparing to kick off vaccinations across the bloc on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Brexit talks have taken place through the night and reports suggest that a trade deal is imminent just a week before the transition period ends.
A last minute hitch related to fishing has delayed the agreement and an announcement is expected later in the day, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney reportedly said.
24 December 2020 | 09:03am
StockMarketWire.com - Plastic products manufacturer Coral Products said it had agreed to sell assets including a mouldings business to One51 ES Plastics for an estimated initial payment of £7.9 million.
The deal involved the sale of Coral Products Mouldings and Interpack and was expected to be wrapped up in February.
Coral Products said it would be left with Coral Products plc, Tatra Rotalac and Global One-Pack.
The company would continue to hold the freehold for its Haydock site, from which the mouldings business operated, and enter into a 10-year lease with the purchaser at rent of £300,000 per annum.
A flurry of fundraising activity on the small cap market showed no signs of slowing down this week as a stream of AIM-listed firms sought to take advantage of the festive mood and persuade investors to give them an early Christmas present in the form of a cash injection.
At least five companies on the junior market have conducted fundraisings this week across a variety of sectors, with the haul totalling just under £85million.
One of the biggest funding rounds came from rare disease specialist Amryt Pharmaceuticals, which announced that it has raised $40million (£30million) from a collection of leading US biotech investors to fund potential acquisitions and investments in new technologies and businesses.