1. Royal Mail reports best Christmas in years - but was it that good?
The group saw a marked improvement in performance in the final three months of last year with Royal Mail meeting its Christmas delivery commitments - though boss Martin Seidenberg issued a warning about the letters network and analysts cast some shade.
2. National Grid’s ESO energy-saving scheme outdoing last winter
Some 2.2 million households have got involved in this year’s demand flexibility service so far, earning a combined £9.3 million through various rewards, the ESO said on Thursday.
3. Asos and Boohoo fail to update investors on festive trading
Investors would have been expecting a post-Christmas trading update from both companies around this period of January, but Shore Capital has revealed neither is planning to.
4. Watches of Switzerland drops 25% after a not-so-timely profit warning
The company blamed “challenging macro-economic conditions impacted consumer spending in the luxury retail sector”, with the UK operation hardest hit.
5. FTSE 100: Stocks post modest gains
The FTSE 100 closed up 12.80 points, 0.2%, at 7,459.09