
Intertek Takeover Highlights London Market's Woes
Intertek's £10bn takeover by EQT-led consortium, while not a landmark event, highlights London's market issues. It's the third FTSE 100 company taken over this year, with few new listings.

Intertek's £10bn takeover by EQT-led consortium, while not a landmark event, highlights London's market issues. It's the third FTSE 100 company taken over this year, with few new listings.

O dólar abriu em queda nesta terça-feira (16), cotado a R$ 5,0560, enquanto o Ibovespa aguarda a "Superquarta" de decisões de juros. Expectativa de acordo de paz EUA-Irã impacta mercados e petróleo.

EUA e Irã fecham acordo de paz com reabertura do Estreito de Ormuz e trégua no Líbano. Mercados reagem positivamente, com petróleo em queda e bolsas em alta. "Superquarta" foca em decisões de juros do Fed e Copom.

Mercados financeiros globais registram alta expressiva após anúncio de acordo preliminar para encerrar conflito com o Irã e reabrir Estreito de Ormuz. Petróleo cai e bolsas asiáticas e europeias fecham em patamares robustos.

中東戰事升溫,但歐美股市今天仍走揚,國際油價波動不定。投資人關注美國與歐洲利率動向,以及通膨持續走升的影響。

European stock markets mostly closed lower today, impacted by renewed military conflict in the Middle East and rising US inflation leading to a sell-off in tech stocks, which eroded market confidence.

儘管美國與伊朗緊張情勢持續,歐洲股市今天走高,倫敦、巴黎、法蘭克福主要股市全面收紅。以色列與黎巴嫩前一晚達成停火協議,為股市上漲提供支撐。

美國與伊朗再次互相攻擊,澆熄市場對雙方近期達成和平協議的期待,歐洲主要股市今天收跌,國際油價走高,逼近每桶100美元關卡。

國際油價下跌,因投資人評估美伊和平協議可能性,及AI熱潮推升科技股。歐洲股市主要指數收盤走揚,倫敦FTSE 100、法蘭克福DAX、巴黎CAC 40指數均上漲。

中東和平談判陷入僵局,加上美伊緊張局勢升溫,導致歐洲股市主要指數今天收盤挫跌。倫敦FTSE 100指數下跌0.68%,法蘭克福DAX指數下挫0.40%,巴黎CAC 40指數下滑0.45%。

歐洲股市今天收紅,投資人樂觀預期企業財報及人工智慧(AI)熱潮帶動。倫敦FTSE 100指數上漲0.22%,法蘭克福DAX指數上漲1.15%,巴黎CAC 40指數上漲0.37%。

Preços do petróleo Brent e WTI sobem devido à falta de acordo nas negociações EUA-Irã e tensões no Estreito de Ormuz. Bolsas europeias, asiáticas e futuras de Wall Street operam em alta, com Nikkei 225 atingindo recorde.

中東和談消息矛盾,國際油價上漲,美元走強,股市互有漲跌。倫敦FTSE 100指數上漲0.11%,法蘭克福DAX指數下跌0.53%,巴黎CAC 40指數下滑0.39%。

European stock markets closed mixed as investors adopted a wait-and-see approach following US President Donald Trump's announcement of a temporary halt to attacks on Iran at the request of Middle Eastern countries.

Intertek, a FTSE 100 laboratory testing company, agrees to a £10.6bn takeover by EQT, a Swedish private equity firm, after rejecting three previous bids; the deal is subject to shareholder approval and preconditions.

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsStarmer on the brink as cabinet ministers urge him to quitThe London stock market has opened in the red.The blue-chip FTSE 100 share index fell by as much as 1.1% at the start of trading, down 117 points to 10,152 points. That’s its lowest level since the end of March.Back at home, rising government borrowing costs aren’t helping either, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership under increasing pressure. The potential for a fiscally looser successor may be weighing on rate expectations, but the inflationary influence of higher-for-longer oil prices is likely to be the bigger driver. Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsLondon’s stock market is sliding at the start of trading.The FTSE 100 index has dropped by 67 points, or 0.65%, to 10,209 points.“We are actively managing the uncertainty created by the fuel price increase and its impact, taking the necessary action on yields, costs and capacity. We currently see no issues with fuel availability in our main markets, particularly as we benefit from our investment in fuel self-supply at our hubs.Whilst the impact of the higher fuel price will inevitably lead to lower profit this year than we originally anticipated, we are confident in our business model and strategy, which has made us one of the best-performing airline groups in the world, and which gives us the opportunity to prove our resilience. This confidence means we are on track to continue with the remaining €1 billion return of excess cash. Continue reading...

A Swedish firm’s pursuit of the product testing company Intertek suggests investors’ price expectations are yet to be shifted by the Iran warIt was a bad day for the FTSE 100 index on Tuesday – down 1.4% – but the puzzle in many quarters is why share prices haven’t fallen further since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran. The index is still up by a couple of percentage points since new year, which is not a bet most would have made at the time if they had been told an inflationary energy price shock lay around the corner.An absence of Iran-related corporate profits warnings partly explains the relative resilience, even if those usually take a while to arrive. So, too, the fact that the Footsie is overpopulated with overseas earners for whom the US economy, which isn’t suffering Europe’s soaring natural gas prices, matters more than their home market. And higher oil prices obviously help the likes of Shell and BP. Continue reading...

NatWest reported first-quarter operating profits of £2bn, up 12% year-on-year and ahead of analyst expectations of £1.9bn, but warned the Middle East conflict could cost £140m. The bank booked a £283m impairment charge, with nearly half due to revised economic forecasts reflecting increased geopolitical risk. It now expects UK GDP growth of just 0.4% this year, unemployment to rise to 5.5%, and inflation to hit 3.5%, while forecasting base rates will remain at 3.75% until 2030.

Diageo shares rose 2% after Trump announced removal of 10% tariffs on Scotch whisky in honor of King Charles. UK house prices unexpectedly increased 0.4% in April with annual growth reaching 3.0%, while NatWest reported Q1 profits of £1.4bn despite setting aside £140m for potential economic worsening.

Bank expects its base case for GDP growth to be 0.5% this year, lower than IMF’s 0.8% prediction for BritainBusiness live – latest updatesLloyds has warned that the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict could cost it £151m amid rising unemployment and inflation and a slowdown in the housing market.The FTSE 100 group, whose brands include Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, issued a downbeat economic forecast that it said reflects the stagflationary consequences – the double hit of rising inflation at the same time as slower economic growth – for the UK and global economies. Continue reading...

Sarah Breedon, deputy governor of the Bank of England, has questioned whether share prices are illogically high, warning they may fall to reflect global economic risks. The article explains how stock market falls affect pension savers, those near retirement, and potentially jobs, while also noting opportunities for long-term investors.

FTSE 100 slides and UK gas prices up amid fears strait of Hormuz will be closed for extended periodMiddle East crisis – live updatesBusiness live – latest updatesOil prices have risen sharply and European stock markets have fallen, after the US seizure of an Iranian vessel hit hopes for a peace deal.Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, rose by as much as 5% on Monday to $95.50 (£70.75) a barrel. Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsTehran has ‘no plans to participate’ in new talks, state media reports, as it accuses US of violating ceasefireEnergy producers are benefitting from the jump in the oil and gas price.BP (+2.7%) and Shell (+2.4%) are leading the FTSE 100 risers. Continue reading...