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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. ....
8 March 2021 | 07:59am StockMarketWire.com - Insurance company Direct Line Insurance announced a £100 million share buyback programme. The company also reported a fall in annual profit amid major weather-related claims and one-off costs. For the year ended 31 December 2020, pre-tax profit fell by £58.3 million to £451.4 million as gross written premiums fell 0.7% to £3.18 billion. Major weather costs increased to £43.0 million from £6.0 million. The combined operating ratio rose to 90.3% from 86.9% due to a reduction in prior-year reserve releases. The final dividend proposed of 14.7 pence per share, represented an increase of 2.1%, and the company announced a a share buyback programme of up to £100 million. Turning to the year ahead, we feel confident that we can build on the momentum we ve created and become a tech and data driven insurance company of the future with our customers at its heart, the company said. ....