FTSE 100 Poised to Rise After Upbeat Asia, US Trading

0641 GMT - The FTSE 100 is expected to open 48 points higher at 7396, according to IG futures data, following mostly higher trading in Asia and a positive close on Wall Street. Markets in Australia, mainland China, Japan and South Korea gain, though Hong Kong's Hang Seng drops 0.3%. The Dow closed Wednesday up 1.4% after dovish policy comments from the U.S. Federal Reserve despite a 0.75 percentage-point interest-rate rise. "Jerome Powell's press conference appeared to raise more questions than answers, which may well have been the intention, but also muddied the waters about the Fed's ambition when it comes to combating inflation," CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson says in a note. (philip.waller@wsj.com) 


 
Companies News:

Shell Launches $6 Bln Share Buyback as 2Q Earnings Hit Record High

Shell PLC on Thursday reported a jump in its profits to a record high in the second quarter and announced a share buyback of $6 billion while keeping the dividend unchanged.

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Segro 1H Adjusted Pretax Profit, Revenue Rose

Segro PLC on Thursday reported a rise in first-half adjusted pretax profit and revenue, as the company benefited from high customer demand and low supply.

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Barclays 2Q Pretax Profit Fell Significantly, Missing Market Views; Costs Set to Keep Rising

Barclays PLC reported Thursday a significant decline in second-quarter pretax profit, missing market views, after the U.K. bank booked higher operating costs and impairments which it said are set to continue rising.

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ITV 1H Pretax Profit, Revenue Rose on Strong Performance in Studios, Media & Entertainment

ITV PLC said Thursday that first-half pretax profit and revenue rose as it booked strong performances in the studios and media-and-entertainment divisions.

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St. James's Place Swung to 1H Pretax Loss, Funds Under Management Fell

St. James's Place PLC reported Thursday a swing to a pretax loss for the first half of 2022 and said funds under management declined on the effects of reversals in global investment markets.

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BT Group 1Q Pretax Profit Fell, Adjusted Ebitda Rose

BT Group PLC said Thursday that pretax profit fell in the first quarter of fiscal 2023, but that adjusted Ebitda rose due to flow through from revenue and continued strong cost control.

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Airtel Africa 1Q Pretax Profit Rose 6.5%; To Grow Ahead of Market This Year

Airtel Africa PLC on Thursday reported a 6.5% rise in first-quarter pretax profit and said that it continues to target growth ahead of the market this year.

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Rentokil Initial 1H Pretax Profit Rose on Strong Pest Control and Hygiene Growth

Rentokil Initial PLC said Thursday that pretax profit for the first half of the year rose, driven by a positive performance across its pest-control and hygiene businesses, and that raised its dividend payout.

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Centrica Resumes Dividend as 1H Earnings Jump

Centrica PLC on Thursday reinstated the dividend and reported improved earnings for the first half of 2022.

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Schroders 1H Pretax Profit Slipped; Assets Under Management Rose

Schroders PLC on Thursday reported a fall in pretax profit for the first half of the year, while assets under management rose.

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BAE Systems Appoints Land Securities' Cressida Hogg as Chairman Designate

BAE Systems PLC said Thursday that Land Securities Group PLC's Chairman Cressida Hogg will join its board as chairman designate, with effect from Nov. 1.

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RELX 1H Net Profit, Revenue Rose Amid Strategy Shift

RELX PLC said Thursday that first-half net profit and revenue rose due to its strategy of focusing on the organic development of its analytics and decision tools.

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BAE Systems Launches $1.8 Bln Buyback, 1H Pretax Profit Fell on Higher Costs

BAE Systems PLC said Thursday that it was launching a three-year share buyback of up to 1.5 billion pounds ($1.82 billion) as it reported a fall in pretax profit for the first half of 2022 after booking higher costs.

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Smith & Nephew PLC Sees Fall in 1H Pretax Profit

Smith & Nephew PLC said Thursday that pretax profit fell in the first six months of the year and backed its guidance for the rest of 2022.

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Aveva 1Q Revenue Fell on Constant Currency Basis; Sales Pipeline Solid for FY 2023

Aveva Group PLC said Thursday that revenue on a constant currency basis fell by a mid-single digit rate in the first quarter of fiscal 2023, and that its sales pipeline was solid for the remainder of the fiscal year.

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Diageo FY 2022 Pretax Profit Rose on Robust Sales Growth; Raises Dividend

Diageo PLC on Thursday reported a rise in pretax profit for fiscal 2022 on robust sales growth, although the print missed expectations, and said it has raised its dividend payout.

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Barclays puts GBP1.3bn aside for trading blunder, marring fee surge -- Financial News

Error takes the shine off positive results in trading unit

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Weir Group 1H Pretax Profit Rose 26%; Hikes Dividend

Weir Group PLC on Thursday reported a 26% rise in pretax profit for the first half of the year and said that it expects headline operating profit to be at the top end of analysts' range for the full year.

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Hammerson Swung to 1H Pretax Profit on Continued Pandemic Recovery

Hammerson PLC said Thursday that it swung to a first-half pretax profit as footfall recovered to near prepandemic levels and costs fell.

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Metro Bank 1H Pretax Loss Narrowed; Monthly Breakeven Seen in 1Q 2023

Metro Bank PLC said Thursday that first-half pretax loss narrowed and that the strategic plan remains on track, with monthly breakeven expected during the first quarter of 2023. 


 
Market Talk:

Rio Tinto Could Be Positioning Balance Sheet for M&A

0401 GMT - Rio Tinto's slimmed-down midyear payout could be positioning the miner to move on acquisitions, Macquarie analysts say in a note. The company has already made an offer for Turquoise Hill Resources, for which it would need $2.6 billion in cash if a deal goes ahead in its current form, say the analysts. They highlight Rio's decision not to pay a special dividend alongside its half-year result as a disappointment nonetheless, saying it overshadowed an otherwise in-line 1H result. "We believe this dividend announcement is a litmus test for Rio's capital allocation policy," they say, reiterating their earlier view that current markets should present opportunities for countercylical M&A growth for the miner. Rio Tinto shares are down 1.0% in Sydney at A$95.99. ( rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com ; @RhiannonHoyle)


Contact: London NewsPlus; paul.larkins@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

07-28-22 0316ET