FTSE 100 Trades Flat Ahead of Christmas
0842 GMT - The FTSE 100 is flat at 7469 points amid reduced trading volumes ahead of Christmas. Defensive stocks including utilities are among the biggest risers on the London index while banks are among the fallers. The London Stock Exchange is set to close early at 1230 GMT. There "isn't much sign of a Santa rally taking off again with much speed," Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Matt Britzman writes. "Yesterday the FTSE 100 ended the session down 0.37% and sterling pulled back a similar amount against the dollar, after the disappointing GDP data, showing the U.K. had the worst third-quarter growth of any G-7 nation." (renae.dyer@wsj.com)
Companies News:
Online Blockchain Warns of Going-Concern Uncertainty
Online Blockchain PLC said Friday that there is material uncertainty about its ability to continue as a going concern as it reported a swing to a pretax loss for fiscal 2022 after booking higher costs.
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Gfinity FY 2022 Pretax Loss Widened, Revenue Fell on Strategic Priorities
Gfinity PLC said Friday that its fiscal 2022 pretax loss widened slightly and revenue fell on strategic prioritization, though it expects revenue growth from investments from 2023 onwards.
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Mothercare's New CEO Daniel Le Vesconte to Start on Jan. 16
Mothercare PLC said Friday that Daniel Le Vesconte will start as its new chief executive on Jan. 16, when he will also join the board.
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Indus Gas 1H Pretax Profit Fell on Higher Costs
Indus Gas Ltd. said Friday that pretax profit for the first half of fiscal 2023 fell after it booked higher costs, and that it has agreed a partial refinancing of its medium-term notes.
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Inchcape Expects Derco Acquisition to Complete Before Year End
Inchcape PLC said Friday that it expects its acquisition of Derco to complete before the end of the year after it secured shareholder approval and merger control approval from the Peruvian authorities.
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RC365 Swung to 1H Pretax Loss on Higher Costs
RC365 Holding PLC said Friday that it swung to a pretax loss for the first half of fiscal 2023 after booking higher costs, and that it was exploring business opportunities in the U.K., Singapore and Hong Kong.
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Crystal Amber Fund Calls for Removal of Hurricane Energy Executive, Chairman
Crystal Amber Fund Ltd. said Friday that has requisitioned a general meeting of Hurricane Energy PLC, calling for the removal of six members of the board and nominating several replacements.
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CapCo Takeover of Shaftesbury Faces UK Antitrust Regulator Probe
The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority said on Friday that it has started an investigation into the merger between Capital & Counties Properties PLC and Shaftesbury PLC.
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Symphony Environmental Shares Fall on Widening of 2022 Loss
Symphony Environmental Technologies PLC shares fell Friday after the company said it expects to report a widened pretax loss for 2022, but that it sees as return to profitability in the first quarter of 2023.
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Cellular Goods Sahres Fall on Widened FY 2022 Pretax Loss
Cellular Goods PLC shares fell Friday after the company said its fiscal 2022 pretax loss widened after it booked higher costs.
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Curtis Banks Gets Deadline Extension in Nucleus Takeover Talks
Curtis Banks Group PLC said Friday that it is close to agreeing on transaction documentation in a possible offer from Nucleus Financial Platforms Ltd., and has agreed a deadline extension for Nucleus to make a firm offer.
Contact: London NewsPlus, Dow Jones Newswires;
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
12-23-22 0402ET
