FTSE 100 Seen Edging Higher After Mixed Asia Trading

0726 GMT - The FTSE 100 is expected to open 10 points higher at 7564, according to CMC Markets, after mixed trading in Asia and a flat close on Wall Street. Stocks in mainland China are flat, lower in Hong Kong but higher in Japan. "Markets in Europe have found it difficult to decouple from the volatility over in the U.S.," CMC analyst Michael Hewson says. "However, they're proving to be slightly more resilient as we look towards a broadly mixed open for European stocks later today." (philip.waller@wsj.com)


 
Companies News: 

Abrdn Raises GBP264 Mln From Sale of Part of Phoenix Group Stake

Abrdn PLC said Friday that it has sold 40 million shares in Phoenix Group Holdings PLC to institutional investors, raising proceeds of around 264 million pounds ($353.3 million).

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Amigo Holdings Appoints Danny Malone as Interim CFO

Amigo Holdings PLC said Friday that it has appointed Danny Malone as chief financial officer on an interim basis.

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Character Group to Return GBP13.5 Mln to Shareholders in Tender Offer

Character Group PLC said Friday that it intends to return around 13.5 million pounds ($18.1 million) to shareholders through a tender offer and repurchase of shares.

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Capita PLC to Sell Trustmarque for GBP115 Mln

Capita PLC said Friday that it has agreed to sell its Trustmarque IT services business to One Equity Partners for 111 million pounds ($148.6 million).

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Avon Protection Launches Buyback Program of up to GBP18.5 Mln

Avon Protection PLC said Friday that it was launching a share buyback program of up to 18.5 million pounds ($24.8 million), and that organic revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2022 was ahead of the year-prior period.

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Paragon Banking Group 1Q Performance in Line With Expectations

Paragon Banking Group PLC said Friday that performance in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 has been strong and in line with the board's expectations.

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Chill Brands 1H 2022 Revenue Soared

Chill Brands Group PLC said Friday that revenue for the first half of fiscal 2022 rose significantly.

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YouGov Expects FY 2022 to Beat Views After Good First Half

YouGov PLC said Friday that it expects fiscal 2022 results to be slightly ahead of the board's expectations after experiencing growth across all divisions and geographies in the first half.

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Trackwise Sees 2021 Loss Widening, Revenue Rising; Names CFO Designate

Trackwise Designs PLC said Friday that it expects its 2021 adjusted operating loss to widen and revenue to rise, and named Paul Cook as its chief financial officer designate.

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BrandShield to Raise GBP1.5 Mln in Share Placing

BrandShield Systems PLC said Friday that it intends to raise 1.5 million pounds ($2 million) through a share placing to institutional investors.

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Surface Transforms Sees 2021 Revenue Increase

Surface Transforms PLC said Friday that it expects to report a 20% increase in revenue for 2021.


 
Market Talk: 

Staff Shortages Due to Coronavirus Will Likely Take a Toll on Eurozone, UK 1Q Growth

0700 GMT - The high number of people infected with Covid-19 in quarantine exacerbates the shortage of labor in key sectors of the economy in the eurozone and the U.K., Berenberg's chief economist Holger Schmieding says. If infection rates on the European continent roughly track the U.K. pattern, a lack of workers could weigh on economic activity for about four to six weeks, shaving around 0.5 percentage point off 1Q GDP in the U.K. and the eurozone, he says. "Together with the current restrictions and more cautious consumer behaviour, these economies may thus roughly stagnate in 1Q unless other factors were to offset these negatives," Schmieding says. (xavier.fontdegloria@wsj.com)


Contact: London NewsPlus, Dow Jones Newswires; Dow Jones Newswires; paul.larkins@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

01-28-22 0309ET