FTSE 100 begins on front foot with news that the services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for July come in above forecast, but still marks a slowdown in the recovery.
The seasonally-adjusted IHS Markit/ CIPS UK Services PMI came in at 59.6 for July, which was higher than anticipated, but a drop from 62.4 in June.
The US$40bn takeover of UK microchip designer Arm may be blocked by the government for national security reasons, according to reports. It is being acquired by US tech group Nvidia.
Mike Ashley, the founder of Sports Direct, might be about to step down from his role of chief executive at Frasers Group (LON:FRAS). Soon-to-be son-in-law Michael Murray, currently head of elevation at the retailer, will get the job according to the Telegraph.
Legal & General Group PLC (LSE:LGEN) (LSE:LGEN) expects a strong growth in full-year profits after a solid first half. It was driven by a much better performance by its investments.
Keywords Studios PLC (AIM:KWS, FRA:KS3, OTC:KYYWF) saw organic revenue growth of 23% in the first half of 2021, driven by robust demand for the group’s services. The group, which provides services to computer game developers, expects to report first-half revenues up roughly 37% on the same period of 2020.
88 Energy Ltd (AIM:88E, ASX:88E) (AIM:88E, ASX:88E) has been granted a two-year extension for its obligations at the Umiat oil field, to August 2023, as it continues to advance its understanding of the acreage. It intends to continue analysis of extensive historic data along with the findings of the Merlin-1 well data from the adjacent Project Peregrine permit.
Bradda Head Holdings Ltd (AIM:BHL) (AIM:BHL), a North America-focused lithium development group, said it received permission to drill on part of its Wikieup project in Arizona. The AIM-listed company is allowed to drill 10 holes on a portion of the Wikieup project, which it anticipates will provide sufficient data for an inferred resource due to the deposit style.