17 March 2021 | 07:24am
StockMarketWire.com - Telecoms giant BT said its mobile business, EE, had won 80MHz of 5G spectrum following an ofcom auction.
The total cost to the company comprised of £452 million comprising of £280 million for 60MHz of 700MHz spectrum band in six lots of 2x5MHz FDD1; £4 million for 20MHz of 700MHz spectrum band in four lots of 5MHz SDL2 (downlink only) and £168 million for 120MHz of spectrum in the 3.6-3.8GHz band in 24 lots of 5MHz. The spectrum auction now moves to a second stage, to work out where the acquired spectrum will be assigned within the band, the company said.
17 March 2021 | 12:11pm
StockMarketWire.com - The FTSE 100 slumped by lunchtime ahead of the US Federal Reserve meeting later and as Germany downgraded growth forecasts. At midday the index was down 0.6% to 6,763.43.
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.
Wealth management company Hargreaves Lansdown climbed 0.9% to £15.63, having upgraded its profit outlook after reporting elevated share dealing volumes since the end of January.
Hargreaves Lansdown now expected pre-tax profit for the year through June 2021 modestly above the top end of analyst expectations ranging from £334 million to £360 million.
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.