FTSE 100 to Rise as Omicron Fears Fade

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. ([e-mail])

 
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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. ([e-mail])

Contact: London NewsPlus, Dow Jones Newswires; Dow Jones Newswires; [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 09, 2021 03:05 ET (08:05 GMT)

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