Morning Euro Markets Bulletin

ADVFN  Morning Euro Markets Bulletin Daily world financial news Thursday, 25 January 2018 10:55:02 Monitor Quote Charts News CFD's Compare Brokers Free BB   The Top 10 Stocks for 2018 What does the year hold for these 10 blue chips? A look at some of the key themes in the coming 12-months, the key numbers from 2017, FTSE 100 companies that reached record highs… and those that fell to all-time lows, and our Top Stock Picks for 2018. Losses can exceed deposits. Get your copy. London Market Report FTSE 100 Euronext Dax perf CAC 40 Please click on the images to view our interactive charts London open: Stocks flat as investors eye sterling and ECB London stocks were steady in early trade on Thursday as investors continued to keep an eye on the pound after its surge against the dollar the previous day dragged the top-flight index down to its lowest level so far this year. At 0840 GMT, the FTSE 100 was flat at 7,642.75, while the pound was up 0.3% versus the euro at 1.1508 and 0.1% firmer against the dollar at 1.4248. Spreadex analyst Connor Campbell said: "After an absolutely glorious day of trading on Wednesday the pound has slowed down somewhat this Thursday - though it's still rising against the dollar and the euro. "How the pound fairs as the day goes on is likely dependent on the US and eurozone more than anything coming from the UK. Any further dollar-related comments from Davos, especially with Trump arriving in the Alpine town, could aid or undermine the greenback, while the euro will be focused on this afternoon's ECB rate vote and subsequent press conference, with the currency hoping Draghi and co. build on the slightly hawkish tone used in the last set of meeting minutes." On the UK data front, BBA mortgage approvals are due at 0930 GMT while the CBI distributive trades survey is at 1100 GMT. Meanwhile, the main item on the City's agenda will be the European Central Bank rate announcement is at 1245 GMT, with President Mario Draghi's press conference at 1330 GMT. In corporate news, mining giant Anglo American rose after it reported a 5% jump in 2017 output, while Guinness and Scotch whisky maker Diageo rallied as it toasted stronger first-half sales and profit margins as weakness in Asia Pacific was quashed by growth in all other regions. Elsewhere, amid an ongoing takeover bid from 21st Century Fox, Sky advanced as it posted a 5% increase in like-for-like revenue for the first half. Close Brothers was in the black after it reported a rise in its loan book and said it remained well placed for the full 2018 financial year, as it announced the departure of its finance director. Dechra Pharmaceuticals gained as the company announced the acquisition of Netherlands-based AST Farma and Le Vet for €340m. Kier Group, formerly a rival of the now collapsed Carillion, surged after saying it had traded in line with expectations in the six months to the end of December. Wealth manager St James's Place was on the front foot as it said full-year net inflows rose 40% to £9.5bn as funds under management increased 20% to £90.7bn. On the downside, Countryside Properties ticked lower after saying it had a "strong" first quarter and is trading in line with expectations for the full year, as it reported a 47% jump in total completions. Garfunkel's and Frankie & Benny's owner Restaurant Group fell as it reported a drop in full-year sales amid a challenging environment, while pub group Greene King was weaker as it said like-for-like sales in the 37 weeks to 14 January fell 1.4% on the back of bad weather. In broker note action, Smith & Nephew was riding high after an upgrade to 'overweight' at JPMorgan Cazenove, while Grainger also rose after an upgrade to 'overweight' at JPM. Bunzl was boosted by an upgrade to 'buy' at Goldman Sachs, and Next was up after RBC Capital Markets lifted the stock to 'outperform'. Share Tips for 2018 The Share Centre’s investment research analyst Ian Forrest, comments on five equities, an investment trust as well as an ETF that our expert research team think could flourish in 2018.  Read more. Capital at risk. Market Movers FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,642.75 -0.01% FTSE 250 (MCX) 20,479.34 -0.29% techMARK (TASX) 3,452.29 -0.55% FTSE 100 - Risers Smith & Nephew (SN.) 1,276.00p 2.74% Next (NXT) 4,997.00p 1.73% Standard Chartered (STAN) 839.70p 1.67% Admiral Group (ADM) 1,873.00p 1.27% Bunzl (BNZL) 1,961.50p 1.06% Associated British Foods (ABF) 2,812.00p 1.01% Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 307.90p 0.88% Diageo (DGE) 2,562.50p 0.79% St James's Place (STJ) 1,248.00p 0.69% Kingfisher (KGF) 344.60p 0.64% FTSE 100 - Fallers Relx plc (REL) 1,563.00p -1.45% Sage Group (SGE) 757.40p -1.41% Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI) (CCH) 2,378.00p -1.33% NMC Health (NMC) 3,336.00p -1.30% Croda International (CRDA) 4,422.00p -1.29% Shire Plc (SHP) 3,383.00p -1.20% Halma (HLMA) 1,271.00p -1.17% Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 851.60p -1.16% Smiths Group (SMIN) 1,623.50p -0.95% Intertek Group (ITRK) 5,004.00p -0.87% FTSE 250 - Risers Kier Group (KIE) 1,057.00p 10.39% Close Brothers Group (CBG) 1,530.00p 5.44% Grainger (GRI) 296.00p 3.79% Great Portland Estates (GPOR) 672.50p 3.78% Dechra Pharmaceuticals (DPH) 2,128.00p 3.20% IG Group Holdings (IGG) 784.50p 1.88% Hochschild Mining (HOC) 236.30p 1.81% Ocado Group (OCDO) 535.20p 1.63% Vietnam Enterprise Investments (DI) (VEIL) 500.00p 1.63% Acacia Mining (ACA) 198.95p 1.43% FTSE 250 - Fallers Renishaw (RSW) 5,318.79p -5.70% Greencore Group (GNC) 206.80p -3.36% Daejan Holdings (DJAN) 6,020.00p -2.59% Kaz Minerals (KAZ) 868.05p -2.47% Pennon Group (PNN) 723.80p -2.40% Stagecoach Group (SGC) 155.22p -1.95% Pets at Home Group (PETS) 181.50p -1.94% Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 1,016.00p -1.79% Aggreko (AGK) 789.00p -1.47% Top of the stocks Number of Deals Bought Place EPIC Equity name % 1 GGP Greatland Gold Plc 2.35 2 BOO Boohoo.com 1.90 3 XBT Provider AB 1.86 4 LGEN Legal & General Group plc 1.49 5 SXX Sirius Minerals plc 1.18 6 LION Lionsgold Limited 1.15 7 VRS Versarien plc 1.14 8 XBT Provider AB 1.12 9 DTY Dignity plc 1.11 10 PFG Provident Financial plc 1.08 Number of Deals Sold Place EPIC Equity name % 1 LLOY Lloyds Banking Group plc 2.33 2 GGP Greatland Gold Plc 2.26 3 XBT Provider AB 1.73 4 XBT Provider AB 1.27 5 GKN GKN plc 1.24 6 IQE IQE plc 1.20 7 Verizon Communications Inc 1.17 8 BOO Boohoo.com 1.02 9 PMO Premier Oil Plc 0.96 10 LION Lionsgold Limited 0.96 FatPROPHETS Successful stock recommendations since 2000 Fat Prophets is a stock market research house that specialises in assisting value based investors with buy, hold and sell recommendations Click Here Cryptocurrencies Report Top Cryptocurrencies # Name Market Cap($) Price(%) Change Price Graph(3m) 1 Bitcoin (BTC) 192,342,925,180 11,336.76 -0.35% 2 Ethereum (ETH) 104,326,118,262 1,067.79 +0.43% 3 Ripple (XRP) 52,388,879,780 1.33 -1.68% 4 Bitcoin Cash / BCC (BCH) 28,113,382,580 1,652.88 -0.24% Atlantic Advisory - Share Tips of the Year 2018 Download Our Latest Report Here Losses can exceed deposits US Market Report US close: Shares end mixed on China trade war fears; weaker dollar US shares ended Wednesday on a mixed note as the Dow finished at record levels but the Nasdaq fell due to weak tech stocks. Worries over trade tensions with China and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's talking down of the dollar also contributed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 41 points at 26,252. The S&P 500 index fell 1.590 to 2,837 and the Nasdaq was 45 points lower at 7,415. In currency markets, the dollar tumbled against the pound, extending its slide as sterling hit a post-Brexit high against the US currency following the release of solid UK employment data. The greenback was also being dragged lower by comments from Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, who said at a news conference in Davos that a weaker dollar is good for the country's economy "as it relates to trade and opportunities". The US currency also suffered losses against the euro, which rose to three-year high as IHS Markit's composite flash purchasing managers' index for the eurozone rose to 58.6 in January, marking highest level since June 2006. President Trump's decision Monday to impose tariffs on imports of solar panels and washing machines and China's less than enthusiastic response to the development unsettled investors. In corporate news, Comcast and United Technologies advanced after their quarterly earnings beat expectations. Whirlpool shares rose, despite the home appliance maker reporting fourth-quarter net losses of $268m or $3.69 a share, compared with net earnings of $180m a year earlier. Ford Motor Co shares followed suit, after the car maker said forex headwinds and higher commodity prices contributed to a lower-than-expected quarterly net profit, adding that things would not improve in 2018 as raw material costs rose. General Dynamics rallied after a fourth-quarter earnings beat, even as revenue missed expectations, while shares in Royal Caribbeancruised higher after the company reported a 10% jump in quarterly profit. On the downside, United Continental tumbled after its fourth-quarter earnings release late on Tuesday. Qualcomm nudged down as the European Commission slapped a €997m fine on the chip maker, saying it paid billions of dollars to Apple, a key customer, so that it would not buy from rivals. Texas Instruments tumbled after it posted the slowest revenue growth in four quarters on softer demand for its chips used in communications equipment. General Electric was also weaker as its fourth-quarter earnings fell short of expectations at the top and bottom line and the company revealed an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission into a multibillion-dollar charge at its insurance business. Rockwell Automation was on the back foot after it posted a fiscal first-quarter loss of $236.4m. Puma Biotechnology nosedived after a European regulatory panel signalled on Tuesday that it was unlikely to give a positive opinion on the company's breast cancer drug. Dow Jones - Risers Travelers Company Inc. (TRV) $147.71 5.93% Nike Inc. (NKE) $68.00 2.43% Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) $265.66 2.15% Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) $54.22 1.42% American Express Co. (AXP) $99.31 1.35% JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) $115.69 1.17% Coca-Cola Co. (KO) $47.82 0.95% Home Depot Inc. (HD) $206.22 0.64% Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH) $245.02 0.53% Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) $88.55 0.34% Dow Jones - Fallers Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) $141.98 -4.10% Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) $88.32 -3.88% General Electric Co. (GE) $16.46 -2.66% Apple Inc. (AAPL) $174.22 -1.59% Intel Corp. (INTC) $45.51 -1.19% Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) $170.09 -0.64% International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) $165.37 -0.53% Boeing Co. (BA) $334.60 -0.27% Dowdupont Inc. (DWDP) $76.01 -0.17% Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) $61.18 -0.11% S&P 500 - Risers W.W. Grainger Inc. (GWW) $271.97 18.53% Navient Corporation (NAVI) $14.51 7.96% Whirlpool Corp. (WHR) $179.65 7.80% Travelers Company Inc. (TRV) $147.71 5.93% Gen Dynamics Corp. (GD) $218.95 5.68% Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM) $41.58 4.84% Fastenal Co. (FAST) $56.86 4.50% Weyerhaeuser Co. (WY) $37.60 4.50% Netflix Inc. (NFLX) $261.30 4.40% Total System Services Inc. (TSS) $87.35 4.30% S&P 500 - Fallers United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL) $69.05 -10.16% Texas Instruments Inc (TXN) $109.70 -8.50% SCANA Corp. (SCG) $40.67 -6.20% American Airlines Group (AAL) $54.79 -6.00% Delta Airlines Inc. (DAL) $56.80 -5.22% Progressive Corp. (PGR) $55.32 -4.98% Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) $50.69 -4.17% Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) $141.98 -4.10% Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) $62.24 -4.08% Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) $88.32 -3.88% Nasdaq 100 - Risers Fastenal Co. (FAST) $56.86 4.50% Netflix Inc. (NFLX) $261.30 4.40% JD.com, Inc. (JD) $46.74 3.45% Dish Network Corp. (DISH) $47.73 3.02% Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) $200.58 2.89% Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) $376.18 1.88% O'Reilly Automotive Inc. (ORLY) $275.93 1.74% Henry Schein Inc. (HSIC) $77.41 1.45% Liberty Interactive Corporation - Series A Liberty Ventures (LVNTA) $59.87 1.34% Twenty-First Century Fox Inc Class A (FOXA) $38.00 1.31% Nasdaq 100 - Fallers Texas Instruments Inc (TXN) $109.70 -8.50% American Airlines Group (AAL) $54.79 -6.00% Microchip Technology Inc. (MCHP) $95.36 -3.21% NetEase Inc. Ads (NTES) $324.63 -2.97% Maxim Integrated Products Inc. (MXIM) $56.35 -2.84% Paychex Inc. (PAYX) $68.02 -2.81% Xilinx Inc. (XLNX) $73.48 -2.73% Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) $114.66 -2.56% Lam Research Corp. (LRCX) $209.73 -2.48% Following the financial crisis, high street banks have funded fewer SME housebuilders Alternative finance providers are stepping in to fill this void, offering investors high margins and attractive returns. One of these lenders, Clearwell Capital is currently fundraising with a 3-year secured bond paying 10% per annum. Click here to find out more. Capital at risk. Newspaper Round Up Thursday newspaper round-up: Google tax, World Bank, Carillion fallout The chief executive of Google has declared he is happy for his company to pay more tax, and called for the existing system to be reformed. Sundar Pichai told an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the tax system needed to be reformed to address concerns that some companies were not paying their fair share. – Guardian Statutory sick pay and government assistance for jobless and self-employed people in the UK have been found to breach international legal obligations. The amount of money available to those claiming statutory sick pay and employment support allowance is "manifestly inadequate", according to the guardians of an international charter ratified by the UK in 1962. ?" Guardian The World Bank's chief economist Paul Romer has resigned from his role after less than two years in the job, according to a memo seen by The Telegraph. Mr Romer, who made his reputation in the 1980s with his study of economic growth and coined the phrase "a crisis is a terrible thing to waste", is returning to his position as university professor at New York University. ?" Telegraph Facebook and Google could avoid government regulation by setting up an independent watchdog to oversee how they tackle fake news and illegal content, an influential think tank has said. The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) suggested internet giants employ a new system of self-regulation, similar to that used in the advertising industry, as they face mounting criticism over how they police their sites. - Telegraph Tens of thousands of businesses exposed to the collapse of Carillion face an even more uncertain future because they did not take out credit protection against its failure. Figures from the insurance industry suggest that not much more than £30 million in cover will be paid out to small companies claiming for non-payment of invoices after Carillion went bust last week. About 30,000 British businesses are reckoned to have been affected and are owed as much as £1 billion in total. ?" The Times Angela Merkel has urged the world to fight the "poisonous" effect of populism and pressed for greater co-operation between countries to fight economic problems. The German chancellor said that she wanted a "great partnership" with Britain after Brexit, but emphasised that single market access required freedom of movement. "It is in their hands how close they want the partnership to be," Mrs Merkel said.- The Times   To advertise in the Euro Markets Bulletin please contact advertise@advfn.com     To unsubscribe from this news bulletin or edit your mailing list settings click here. 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