The Market Report with Katie Pilbeam. FTSE 100 opened higher as markets breathed a sigh of relief after the Suez Canal finally reopened following a week of being blocked. London’s leading index added 48 points to 6,784 in early trading..
GlaxoSmithKline PLC (LON:GSK) will help make up to 60mln doses of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX). The jabs will be distributed in the UK based on approval from the regulator, which is expected during the second quarter.
Royal Mail PLC (LON:RMG) will pay a one-off final dividend of 10p per share and unveil a new dividend policy with its next annual results. Trading has been boosted by the lockdown-inspired boom in eCommerce that has prompted a string of profit upgrades. UK grocery sales dipped 3% in March 2021 compared to March 2020 after the very first lockdown drove record spending last year. Online grocery shopping levels dropped back as more people returned to stores, with over-65s paying more visits after receiving their vaccine.
Greatland Gold PLC (LON:GGP) has applied for two new exploration licences adjacent to the company's Ernest Giles project in Western Australia. The two applications cover a total area of 1,070km2.
Symphony Environmental Technologies PLC (LON:SYM) said a study had proved “beyond doubt” that its d2w plastic technology is biodegradable in the oceans. The five-year study was sponsored by the French Agence National de Recherche.
Tiziana Life Sciences PLC (NASDAQ:TLSA, LON:TILS) is taking its nasally-administered monoclonal antibody (mAB) into phase II clinical trials in people with moderate to severe Coronavirus (COVID-19). This follows an earlier study in Brazil, which showed evidence that Foralumab reduced pulmonary and systemic inflammation and was well tolerated.