The FTSE 100 started on the front foot as investors appear to have shrugged off renewed fears about inflation. London’s leading index jumped 26 points to 7,301 in early trading.
Toyota and Volkswagen will not be among the car manufacturers to cut CO2 emissions in new cars by 2040. A group of big names in the industry is due to announce the pledge at COP26 in Glasgow today.
Marks and Spencer Group PLC (LSE:MKS) has upgraded full-year guidance after swinging back to interim profits. The retailer expects strong demand to be driven by a post-pandemic bounce back and the turnaround of its brand.
JD Wetherspoon Plc (LSE:JDW) has seen a dip in sales as older customers are going to the pub less to avoid the risk of COVID-19. Demand for breakfasts and coffee has been much lower due to more people working from home.
Among the small caps, Emmerson PLC (AIM:EML) has received new investment from Singaporean group GSM, which has bought a stake at the Khemisset potash project in Morocco. Emmerson said this was a “major endorsement” of the project.
Fellow miner Ferro-Alloy Resources Limited has made its first commercial sale of ferro-molybdenum. The group is operating a vanadium deposit in Kazakhstan.
Evgen Pharma PLC (AIM:EVG) has welcomed a peer-reviewed article in the academic journal 'Pharmaceuticals' that highlights the potential of its lead asset, SFX-01. It’s being studied to treat an aggressive form of brain tumour.