FTSE 100 to Rise as Omicron Fears Fade
December 09 2021 - 3:20AM
Dow Jones News
FTSE 100 to Rise as Omicron Fears Fade
0742 GMT - The FTSE 100 is expected to open higher with
spreadbetting firm IG anticipating London's blue-chip index to rise
25 points as worries over the Omicron coronavirus variant recede.
"Traders like the fact that yesterday Pfizer and BioNTech stated
that a booster shot of their vaccine would provide good protection
against infections from the new strain," AvaTrade analyst Naeem
Aslam says. Over the past few sessions, investors have been mostly
optimistic as Omicron seems to be associated with mild symptoms,
meaning governments don't have to impose harsh restrictions that
could have taken a toll on the economic recovery, he says.
(renae.dyer@wsj.com)
Companies News:
Rolls-Royce Returned to Positive Free Cash Flow in 3Q
Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC said Thursday that it restored positive
free cash flow in the third quarter.
---
Farfetch Snaps Up Resale Platform as Secondhand Luxury Keeps On
Growing
Farfetch Ltd. has acquired luxury resale platform Luxclusif as
the sector's interest in the second-hand market grows apace,
marking the latest expansion at the British-Portuguese e-commerce
firm.
---
Frasers 1H Pretax Profit Rose Significantly; Sees FY Growth
Frasers Group PLC on Thursday reported a significant rise in
pretax profit for the first half of fiscal 2022 and said that it
expects to post a materially stronger adjusted pretax profit for
the full year if there are no additional Covid-19 lockdowns in the
U.K., particularly during Christmas.
---
DS Smith 1H Pretax Profit, Revenue Rose; Increases Dividend
DS Smith PLC said Thursday that pretax profit and revenue rose
for the first half of fiscal 2022 and that it has increased the
interim dividend.
---
ITV Studios Revenue Seen Recovering to 2019 Levels in 2022
ITV PLC said Thursday that total revenue for its ITV Studios
unit should recover to 2019 levels in 2022.
---
Harbour Energy Introduces $200 Mln Annual Dividend
Harbour Energy PLC said Thursday that it will introduce a $200
million annual dividend, as it expects to remain free cash flow
positive every year in the medium term at current forward commodity
prices.
---
Hikma Signs Deal to Commercialize Gedeon Richter's Osteoporosis
Treatment
Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC said Thursday that it has signed a
deal to commercialize Gedeon Richter PLC's denosumab in the
U.S.
---
Market Talk:
RBC Downgrades Diageo Amid Weak U.S. Consumer Sentiment
0623 GMT - RBC downgrades Diageo to underperform from perform,
saying that high costs to compete and weak U.S. consumer sentiment
pose new risks that could cause the Smirnoff owner's margin target
to stall. So far Diageo has benefited from a trend toward
premiumization but as U.S. disposable incomes revert to pre-Covid
levels that could slow, putting current revenue growth targets at
risk. RBC describes Diageo's goal of increasing its share of total
beverage alcohol by 50% as especially optimistic given that its
share has been flat over the past decade.
(saabira.chaudhuri@wsj.com)
Contact: London NewsPlus, Dow Jones Newswires; Dow Jones
Newswires; paul.larkins@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 09, 2021 03:05 ET (08:05 GMT)
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