ADVFN UK Market News

Author: Fiona Craig

  • Wall Street Futures Hold Steady Ahead of Payrolls as Lululemon Falls and Adobe Names CEO: Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq

    Wall Street Futures Hold Steady Ahead of Payrolls as Lululemon Falls and Adobe Names CEO: Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq

    U.S. equity futures were broadly unchanged on Friday as markets awaited the August nonfarm payrolls report, while comments from Federal Reserve officials affected expectations for the central bank’s September interest-rate decision.

    Company developments were also in focus after Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ:LULU) lowered its full-year outlook again and Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) announced that Anil Chakravarthy will succeed Shantanu Narayen as chief executive. OpenAI also announced the introduction of GPT-6 Astra.

    Markets Await U.S. Labour Data

    S&P 500 futures edged down to 7,752.25 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures were little changed after the previous session ended with gains on Wall Street.

    The August nonfarm payrolls report is expected to provide investors with further evidence about conditions in the U.S. labour market ahead of the Federal Reserve’s September 15-16 policy meeting.

    Stronger employment growth could support expectations for interest rates to remain restrictive. A weaker report could increase expectations that policymakers will keep rates unchanged, with the possibility of reductions at a later stage.

    Fed Comments Shift Rate Expectations

    Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said recent economic figures had provided signs that inflationary pressures were easing.

    Waller indicated that he would favour leaving interest rates unchanged at the September meeting if upcoming economic releases continue to show inflation moderating.

    New York Fed President John Williams has also advocated a cautious wait-and-see approach to monetary policy.

    Following the comments, financial markets lowered the implied probability of a 25-basis-point September rate increase to approximately 50%, compared with almost 65% previously.

    Lululemon Drops Following Forecast Cut

    Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ:LULU) shares declined approximately 18% in extended trading after the athleticwear company reduced its full-year forecasts for a second time and reported quarterly sales below expectations.

    Incoming Chief Executive Heidi O’Neill will take responsibility for the company as it works to refresh its product range and compete with other brands in the athleticwear market.

    Future sales performance and changes to the company’s product offering are expected to remain areas of attention as the management transition takes place.

    Adobe Announces Chief Executive Transition

    Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) named Anil Chakravarthy as its next president and chief executive, with the appointment taking effect on December 1.

    Chakravarthy currently leads Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration business and worldwide field operations and will join the company’s board as part of the appointment.

    Shantanu Narayen will move to the position of executive chair and work alongside Chakravarthy during the leadership transition.

    The change comes as Adobe increases the integration of artificial intelligence across its creativity, productivity and customer-experience products. Chakravarthy said his priorities would include the next era of “agentic software.”

    OpenAI Announces GPT-6 Astra

    OpenAI announced GPT-6 Astra, initially making the model available to enterprise customers before a broader rollout to Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise users.

    The model will also be offered through the OpenAI API and AWS. OpenAI set standard API pricing at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens.

    The announcement comes as artificial intelligence companies continue developing new models and expanding their use across consumer and business applications.

  • European Shares Stabilise as Fed Comments Ease Rate Hike Expectations: DAX, CAC, FTSE100

    European Shares Stabilise as Fed Comments Ease Rate Hike Expectations: DAX, CAC, FTSE100

    European equity markets traded broadly steady on Friday following declines earlier in the week, as comments from Federal Reserve officials reduced expectations for an interest rate increase at the central bank’s September meeting ahead of the latest U.S. employment report.

    The pan-European STOXX 600 remained close to its lowest level in more than a month and was on course to record its largest weekly percentage decline since early July.

    Germany’s DAX was broadly unchanged, while France’s CAC 40 fell 0.3% and London’s FTSE 100 declined 0.2%.

    European markets have faced higher government bond yields and energy prices during the week. Germany’s 10-year Bund yield reached 3.37%, its highest level since 2011, while the two-year Schatz yield approached 2.98%.

    Oil Prices Rise Amid Strait of Hormuz Disruption

    Oil prices remained elevated following disruption to commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amid exchanges between the U.S. and Iran.

    Brent crude traded near six-week highs and was on course for a weekly increase of around 7%.

    Higher energy prices have added to inflation considerations for investors assessing the outlook for monetary policy and European companies exposed to energy and transportation costs.

    Waller Comments Affect September Rate Expectations

    Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said recent economic data had provided signs of easing inflationary pressures. He indicated that if forthcoming reports confirm that trend, he would favour leaving interest rates unchanged at the Fed’s September 15-16 policy meeting.

    His comments followed remarks from New York Fed President John Williams, who called for a cautious “wait-and-see” approach to monetary policy.

    Financial futures subsequently reduced the implied probability of a 25-basis-point interest rate increase in September to around 50%, compared with almost 65% previously.

    Government bond yields subsequently moved back from their recent highs, while Asian equity markets advanced overnight.

    U.S. Employment Report in Focus

    Investors are awaiting the U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for further information on labour-market conditions ahead of next week’s Consumer Price Index release.

    A softer employment reading could support expectations that the Federal Reserve will leave rates unchanged in September. A stronger-than-expected report could increase expectations for further monetary tightening by the Federal Open Market Committee.

  • Eurozone Construction PMI Falls to 43.0 in August

    Eurozone Construction PMI Falls to 43.0 in August

    Construction activity across the eurozone declined at a faster rate in August, with the S&P Global Eurozone Construction PMI Total Activity Index falling to 43.0 from 44.3 in July.

    The latest reading marked the 52nd consecutive month in which the index remained below the 50.0 threshold separating expansion from contraction.

    France recorded the fastest decline among the countries covered, with construction activity falling at its sharpest rate since May 2020. Italian construction companies reported their quickest contraction in four years, while Germany recorded its slowest decline so far in 2026.

    New Orders Record Faster Decline

    New business received by eurozone construction companies decreased at the fastest rate since April.

    Activity declined across all three construction sub-sectors monitored by the survey. Housing recorded the largest contraction, followed by commercial construction, while civil engineering posted the smallest decline.

    Employment decreased for the seventh consecutive month, with the rate of job reductions accelerating to a four-month high.

    France and Germany recorded faster reductions in workforce numbers, while employment among Italian construction companies increased for the second consecutive month.

    Input Cost Inflation Eases

    Input cost inflation moderated to a six-month low in August, although it remained above the survey’s historical average.

    The rate of input cost inflation slowed in Italy, while Germany and France recorded slight accelerations during the month.

    Construction companies remained negative about activity prospects for the next 12 months, with the level of pessimism unchanged from July’s three-month high. French companies reported their most negative outlook since April.

    The survey data were collected between August 12 and August 28, 2026.

  • FTSE 100 Edges Lower Ahead of U.S. Payrolls Report

    FTSE 100 Edges Lower Ahead of U.S. Payrolls Report

    The FTSE 100 traded slightly lower on Friday as markets awaited the latest U.S. non-farm payrolls report ahead of the Federal Reserve’s Sept. 16 policy meeting.

    The FTSE 100 was down 0.04% as of 03:18 ET (07:18 GMT). Elsewhere in Europe, Germany’s DAX gained 0.10% and France’s CAC 40 rose 0.04%.

    Sterling strengthened against the U.S. dollar, with GBP/USD up 0.13% at 1.3542.

    U.S. Employment Data in Focus

    Consensus forecasts point to an increase of 55,000 U.S. non-farm payrolls for August, compared with a decline of 23,000 in July. The unemployment rate is expected to remain at 4.1%.

    Analysts at ING said comments from Federal Reserve Governor Waller pushed U.S. Treasury yields lower on Thursday before a stronger ISM services reading subsequently sent yields higher.

    ING said a payrolls increase below 25,000, combined with benign core CPI of less than 0.2% month-on-month next week, would likely be required to delay an interest-rate increase.

    Friday marks the Federal Reserve’s final communication before its blackout period ahead of the Sept. 16 policy decision.

    Middle East Developments Remain in Focus

    South Korea’s presidential office said it was considering “contributions” to U.S.-led security efforts in the Strait of Hormuz, while adding that “nothing has been decided yet.”

    Vice President JD Vance told a White House briefing he was “extremely skeptical” that Iranian claims that a U.S. strike had hit a wedding party were accurate. Asked whether fighting would end by the midterms, he added “I wouldn’t call it a war”.

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the European Union had “officially” joined the U.S.-led “Operation Economic Outcast” sanctions campaign against Iran. Bessent reiterated that the campaign aims to “sever every economic lifeline” sustaining Tehran.

    Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained below levels recorded before the conflict, with 102 transits last week compared with more than 130 per day previously. Tanker operators continued to route oil through a U.S.-guided southern corridor near Oman.

    Iranian officials said a recent series of U.S. strikes killed at least 18 people and wounded 142. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. President Donald Trump was privately considering declaring the war over while the Pentagon extended troop deployments in the region.

    Oil Prices Rise While Gold Declines

    Brent crude rose 0.45% to $95.90 a barrel, while WTI increased 0.43% to $91.68.

    Gold futures declined 0.57% to $4,514.15, while spot gold fell 0.13% to $4,467.71.

  • Arrow Exploration Reports Production Above 6,000 Boe/d and Advances Icaco Drilling

    Arrow Exploration Reports Production Above 6,000 Boe/d and Advances Icaco Drilling

    Arrow Exploration Corp. (LSE:AXL) reported corporate production of more than 6,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, following recent drilling activity, workovers and the addition of the Thorsby field in Alberta.

    The company estimated its cash balance at US$21.8 million after making the payment associated with the Thorsby acquisition.

    At the Icaco field on the Tapir block in Colombia, Arrow said the IC-6 well encountered a fault and was subsequently repurposed as a water disposal well. The company expects the change in use to reduce operating costs and improve production efficiency at the field.

    Arrow has since spud the IC-7 well, which is targeting multiple formations. The company is also expanding drilling capacity on the Icaco pad as it continues development activity in the area.

    Arrow said discussions regarding an extension of the Tapir block are continuing.

    More about Arrow Exploration Corp.

    Arrow Exploration Corp. is an oil and gas company with operations in Colombia and Canada. Its portfolio includes operated light oil assets in the Llanos, Middle Magdalena Valley and Putumayo basins.

    The company holds rights to 50% of production from the Tapir block in Colombia through a private commercial contract and operates in the country through its wholly owned subsidiary Carrao Energy S.A.

    Arrow is listed on London’s AIM market and the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker AXL.

  • Quantum Data Energy Reports 4.7 GWh of H1 Generation as New Projects Advance

    Quantum Data Energy Reports 4.7 GWh of H1 Generation as New Projects Advance

    Quantum Data Energy PLC (LSE:QDE) reported electricity generation of approximately 4.7 GWh during the first half of 2026 as it continued to develop its flexible power generation portfolio.

    The company said its Pyebridge asset achieved an average electricity price of £149 per MWh during the period, approximately 58% above the wholesale market benchmark.

    Pyebridge also secured an additional Capacity Market contract covering the period to 2029-30 and was enrolled in NESO’s new Slow Reserve service.

    Quantum Data Energy said the first half was characterised by record renewable generation and periods of electricity price volatility, with intraday price spreads regularly exceeding £100 per MWh.

    Bordersley and Hindlip Add 12.5 MW of Capacity

    The company also reported progress across two development projects representing a combined 12.5 MW of additional capacity.

    The 5 MW Bordersley project reached financial close and entered construction during the period, while the 7.5 MW Hindlip plant completed construction and commissioning on schedule and within budget.

    According to Quantum Data Energy, the two projects are largely funded by partners, limiting the amount of capital required from shareholders.

    The developments form part of the company’s strategy of developing modular power generation capacity for applications including the U.K. electricity grid and AI data centres.

    More about Quantum Data Energy PLC

    Quantum Data Energy PLC is a U.K.-based independent energy company that develops, operates and owns flexible modular power generation assets connected to the U.K. grid.

    The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange Main Market and develops scalable power infrastructure, including modular generation solutions intended for AI data centres and grid applications.

  • hVIVO to Report Interim Results on 15 September

    hVIVO to Report Interim Results on 15 September

    hVIVO plc (LSE:HVO) said it will publish its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2026 on 15 September.

    The company will hold an analyst briefing on the same day, led by Chief Executive Yamin ‘Mo’ Khan and Chief Financial Officer Stephen Pinkerton.

    hVIVO will also host a separate online presentation for investors on 15 September. The event will be available through registration and is open to existing and potential shareholders.

    The presentations will accompany the company’s financial and operational update for the first half of 2026.

    More about hVIVO plc

    hVIVO plc is a London-listed clinical development services company specialising in human challenge clinical trials for biopharmaceutical companies.

    The group operates dedicated sites and laboratories in the U.K. and Germany and provides services covering clinical and regulatory consulting, clinical trial execution, human challenge studies and laboratory activities.

    hVIVO operates a quarantine facility in London for human challenge studies, while its laboratory services include virology, immunology, biobanking and sample storage.

    The company’s FluCamp business maintains a specialist participant recruitment database used to support enrolment into clinical studies.

  • Avacta Reduces Convertible Bond Principal to £12 Million Following Cash Repayment

    Avacta Reduces Convertible Bond Principal to £12 Million Following Cash Repayment

    Avacta Group plc (LSE:AVCT) has settled an accelerated payment notice relating to its deferred April 2026 quarterly convertible bond repayment, paying £2.613 million in cash.

    The payment comprises £2.4 million of principal together with associated interest and fees. Following the settlement, both quarterly payments that had previously been deferred have now been satisfied.

    Avacta also made its scheduled July 2026 payment. Following these repayments, the outstanding principal under the company’s convertible bond has been reduced to £12.0 million.

    The remaining principal represents approximately 3.8% of Avacta’s market capitalisation.

    More about Avacta Group plc

    Avacta Group plc, trading as Avacta Therapeutics, is a clinical-stage life sciences company developing targeted oncology treatments.

    Its proprietary pre|CISION® platform uses the tumour-specific protease FAP with the aim of concentrating drug payloads within the tumour microenvironment while limiting exposure to normal tissues.

    The company’s pipeline includes AVA6000, a FAP-enabled form of doxorubicin that has shown preliminary activity in salivary gland cancer and soft tissue sarcoma.

    Avacta is also developing AVA6103, which incorporates a sustained-release mechanism and is being evaluated in the FOCUS-01 Phase 1 trial.

  • Metals One Secures £4 Million Senior Promissory Note Funding

    Metals One Secures £4 Million Senior Promissory Note Funding

    Metals One PLC (LSE:MET1) has secured £4 million in gross funding from YA II PN, a fund managed by Yorkville Advisors Global, through a senior promissory note to support its minerals investment programmes and working capital requirements.

    The funding is structured as non-convertible debt and does not provide for automatic conversion into equity. Metals One will also issue warrants with an aggregate value equivalent to the note, exercisable for three years at 130% of the company’s closing share price immediately before the transaction.

    After fees and a 5% original issue discount, Metals One expects to receive net proceeds of £3.74 million.

    Repayment will take place through monthly instalments beginning 60 days after closing. The company said that, including the new facility, it has more than £11 million in cash and liquid investments.

    Metals One intends to fund repayments partly through the disposal of listed investments that it classifies as non-core and values at approximately £6 million.

    The company said the financing will provide bridging capital for operational activities across its gold-focused project portfolio in Africa and the Americas, including acquisition, exploration and development activities.

    Metals One Appoints New AIM Adviser

    Separately, Metals One has appointed Spark Advisory Partners Limited as its new AIM Nominated Adviser, replacing Beaumont Cornish.

    More about Metals One PLC

    Metals One PLC is a critical and precious metals project developer and investor focused on gold and uranium assets.

    Its portfolio includes a South African gold and energy platform, brownfield gold and copper exploration in Peru, uranium and tailings projects, a U.S. gold exploration project and graphite and copper exploration interests in Tanzania.

    The company’s shares trade on AIM under the ticker MET1 and on the U.S. OTCQB Venture Market as MTOPF.

  • Fiinu Advances Plugin Overdraft Platform With Conister Bank Partnership

    Fiinu Advances Plugin Overdraft Platform With Conister Bank Partnership

    Fiinu (LSE:BANK) has agreed an addendum to its Master Services Agreement with Conister Bank, moving its Plugin Overdraft platform into a production environment ahead of a planned proof-of-concept launch by the end of the year.

    The addendum establishes an implementation timetable and a longer-term commercial framework between the two companies, combining Fiinu’s overdraft technology with Conister Bank’s lending operations.

    Under the initial deployment, the platform will support Conister Bank in providing overdraft facilities to approximately 1.5 million customers of Payment Assist Limited.

    The companies may subsequently extend the offering to new Conister Bank customers and the broader market.

    Fiinu said its Plugin Overdraft technology allows banks to provide overdraft facilities without requiring customers to move their primary current accounts.

    The company is also holding discussions with international financial services organisations regarding potential applications of its technology.

    More about Fiinu Plc

    Fiinu Plc is a U.K.-based fintech group listed on AIM that develops banking technology products, including its Plugin Overdraft platform.

    The platform is designed to allow banks to offer overdraft facilities separately from customers’ primary current accounts.

    Fiinu’s business model involves providing its technology to banking partners that can use the platform to offer credit products to customers while allowing them to retain their existing primary banking relationships.