Author: Fiona Craig

80 Mile Plc (LSE:80M) has announced a series of board and senior management changes as the company shifts toward a free-carried position on core assets and prepares to restart operations at its Ferrandina biofuels facility in Italy. Eric Sondergaard is set to step down as Managing Director, with Troy Whittaker appointed as Executive Director, while Olga Solovieva will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer. These moves are designed to support the company’s progress on major initiatives such as the Disko-Nuussuaq project in Greenland and the Greenswitch Facility in Italy, reinforcing its broader clean-energy ambitions across Europe.

More about 80 Mile Plc

80 Mile Plc is an exploration and development company listed on London’s AIM market, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and the U.S. OTC Market. The firm targets high-grade critical metals in top-tier jurisdictions, with principal assets in Greenland, alongside an expanding industrial gas and biofuels venture in Italy. Its strategy centers on advancing flagship projects, building value through strategic partnerships, and scaling its presence in sustainable fuels and clean-energy solutions.

Cirata plc (LSE:CRTA) has signed a landmark three-year agreement worth $6.7 million with IBM, marking its largest deal to date with the technology giant. Under the contract, Cirata will supply data integration software to support a major financial services client, a win that not only deepens its collaboration with IBM but also bolsters its position within the financial services technology market.

Cirata’s broader outlook remains mixed. While management highlighted several positive developments during the latest earnings call—particularly around strategic priorities in data integration and ongoing cost-efficiency measures—the company continues to face meaningful financial pressures. Persistent cash flow constraints, valuation concerns, and operational execution risks weigh heavily on its near-term prospects.

More about Cirata plc

Cirata plc specialises in data replication and integration software designed to help enterprises move and manage data across complex environments. The company has a strong focus on financial services customers and collaborates with major technology partners, including IBM, to deliver scalable integration solutions.

IXICO plc (LSE:IXI) has secured a new contract exceeding £3.5 million to deliver imaging services for a global Phase 3 clinical study in Huntington’s Disease (HD). The agreement strengthens IXICO’s long-standing expertise in HD and aligns with its “Innovate, Lead, Scale” strategy, which focuses on accelerating international growth. The company’s participation in this late-stage trial further reinforces its position within the HD research community and its commitment to supporting the development of treatments for this rare neurodegenerative condition.

IXICO plc’s overall outlook remains constrained by ongoing financial pressures, most notably weak revenue performance and persistent profitability challenges. Technical signals show limited conviction, while valuation indicators continue to reflect the company’s earnings struggles. The lack of recent earnings call commentary or corporate updates provides little additional clarity.

More about IXICO plc

IXICO plc is a specialist in neuroscience imaging and biomarker analytics, leveraging its proprietary AI-enabled platform to support advancements in neurological disease therapies. With two decades of experience as an end-to-end Imaging Contract Research Organisation (iCRO), IXICO partners with major pharmaceutical companies, emerging biotech firms, global disease networks, and non-profit groups. The company has contributed to hundreds of clinical studies worldwide, analysing extensive imaging datasets to advance research across a range of neurological disorders.

Tekmar Group plc (LSE:TGP) has landed a major contract valued at more than €3.5 million to deliver its polyurethane cable protection systems for a large offshore energy development in the Middle East. The award represents the company’s biggest order of this type from the customer and follows an earlier $10 million agreement, reinforcing Tekmar’s growing footprint in the region and its reputation for reliable asset-protection technology.

Despite this commercial momentum, Tekmar Group plc continues to face a challenging financial landscape. Profitability remains negative, cash generation is under pressure, and valuation metrics offer little appeal, with a negative P/E ratio and no dividend support. While some technical indicators hint at potential upside, they are not strong enough to counterbalance the underlying financial weaknesses.

More about Tekmar Group plc

Tekmar Group plc provides advanced protection systems and engineering services for the offshore energy sector, particularly offshore wind. Drawing on nearly four decades of operational expertise, the company delivers solutions spanning geotechnical engineering, simulation, subsea protection equipment, and stability technology. Based in the UK, Tekmar maintains a global presence with operations across 18 locations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and North America.

U.S. stock futures signaled a sharply weaker open on Friday, suggesting that the market downturn from the prior session is far from over.

Tech names remained at the center of the sell-off, with valuation worries dragging chip giants Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) more than 3% lower in pre-market trading. Major growth stocks such as Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) were also under pressure, extending what is shaping up to be a punishing week for the broader tech sector.

“Markets are down across the board as investors fret about cracks in the narrative that’s driven the mother of all tech rallies over the past few years,” said Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell.

He added, “Investors are worried about rich equity valuations and how billions of dollars are being spent on AI just at a time when the jobs market is looking fragile.”

The market’s slide also reflects growing concerns about monetary policy, following cautious commentary from Federal Reserve officials and uncertainty tied to key U.S. economic indicators that may not be published due to the lengthy government shutdown.

According to CME Group’s FedWatch Tool, the likelihood of a quarter-point cut at the December Fed meeting has fallen to 53.2%, down from 66.9% just a week earlier.

Thursday’s session saw stocks fall sharply at the open before accelerating to the downside throughout the day. By the close, all major averages had suffered heavy losses, breaking a two-day stretch of mixed results.
The Nasdaq dropped 536.10 points, or 2.3%, to 22,870.36. The S&P 500 slid 113.43 points, or 1.7%, to 6,737.49, while the Dow sank 797.60 points, or 1.7%, to 47,457.22.

The Dow’s reversal was fueled in part by an abrupt slump in Disney (NYSE:DIS) shares, which plunged 7.8%. The company posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings but missed on revenue, sparking renewed concern about its growth outlook.

High-flying tech names remained under pressure as stretched valuations met a renewed sense of caution. Nvidia—at the center of the AI boom—tumbled alongside Broadcom (AVGO) and Alphabet (GOOGL), weighing heavily on the broader Nasdaq.

Market anxiety also deepened as traders questioned whether essential U.S. economic reports will ever be published. While President Donald Trump signed a short-term funding measure to end the historic shutdown, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that the October jobs and inflation releases are “likely never being released.”

That uncertainty leaves investors and policymakers “flying blind,” with limited insight into the health of the U.S. economy ahead of the December Fed decision.

Among sectors, computer hardware stocks were some of the hardest hit, with the NYSE Arca Computer Hardware Index tumbling 7%. Semiconductor, networking and software groups also slid sharply.

Beyond tech, weakness spread across the market, dragging down gold miners, financials, and airline stocks as the latest wave of risk aversion rippled through Wall Street.

European equities fell sharply on Friday, extending the prior session’s decline as concerns over a possible bubble in artificial intelligence and uncertainty surrounding the U.S. interest-rate path weighed on sentiment.

Although the United States finally ended its record-long government shutdown, the agreement that reopened federal agencies left several key policy issues unresolved.

Adding to the unease, the White House signaled that October’s employment and inflation figures will “likely never” be published due to the shutdown’s disruption.

Investors also had to digest fresh evidence of China’s weakening economy, with October data reflecting sluggish consumer spending and deeper stress across the property sector.

By mid-morning trading, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 had fallen 1.9%, Germany’s DAX was down 1.8%, and France’s CAC 40 had declined 1.7%.

Land Securities (LSE:LAND) dropped sharply even after the British property group reported solid income growth for the six months to September 30, 2025.

Swiss Re (TG:SR9) also moved lower despite posting nine-month net earnings of $4 billion, up 85% from a year earlier.

In contrast, Siemens Energy (BIT:1ENR) jumped after the German manufacturer significantly upgraded its mid-term outlook, supported by strong demand for gas turbines, services, and power-transmission equipment.

Luxury group Richemont (TG:RITN) advanced as well, buoyed by robust first-half growth, while Allianz (TG:ALV) rose after delivering a stronger-than-expected 15% increase in third-quarter profit.

Bitcoin (COIN:BTCUSD) extended its decline on Friday, slipping below the psychologically important $100,000 threshold as fading expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut in December weighed heavily on risk markets.

The cryptocurrency was also heading for its third weekly loss in a row, with institutional demand continuing to retreat.

By 00:00 ET, Bitcoin was down 4.2% at $97,795.5—its weakest level since May—after briefly touching an intraday low of $96,866.1.

Fed uncertainty intensifies as markets scale back December rate-cut bets

Traders sharply reduced their expectations for a December rate cut this week amid growing questions about the health of the U.S. economy.

The nearly 43-day U.S. government shutdown, which finally ended on Wednesday, created a major disruption in economic reporting. Officials have already warned that October’s inflation and employment data may not be released at all, leaving the Federal Reserve with a significant information gap heading into its December meeting.

This lack of visibility has led markets to conclude that the central bank is more likely to hold rates steady. CME’s FedWatch tool now shows the probability of a 25-bps cut at just 45.4%, down from 63.8% a week earlier.

The overall uncertainty pushed investors away from speculative trades, putting additional pressure on cryptocurrencies.

Weak institutional flows push Bitcoin toward a third week of losses

Bitcoin’s drop this week was amplified by declining institutional participation. Data from SoSoValue showed that U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw almost $897 million in outflows on Thursday, marking their third straight week of withdrawals.

Major institutional buyers have been reluctant to re-enter the market, especially after Bitcoin spent much of October and early November stuck in a narrow consolidation range.

Altcoins fall alongside Bitcoin

Losses extended across the crypto market. Ether dropped 9.3% to $3,161.68 and was down more than 7% for the week. BNB slipped 5.4%, XRP fell 8%, and Solana and Cardano were both lower by roughly 8.5% to 9%.

Among meme tokens, Dogecoin and $TRUMP each fell more than 7%.

Oil prices advanced on Friday, lifted by renewed supply concerns after a Ukrainian drone strike hit infrastructure in Novorossiysk, a key Russian export center on the Black Sea.

By 07:01 GMT, Brent crude was up 79 cents, or 1.25%, to $63.80 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 82 cents, or 1.38%, to $59.50. Both benchmarks had initially surged more than 2% during early Asian trading before trimming gains. For the week, Brent was slightly higher while WTI was modestly lower.

Russian officials reported that the attack caused damage to a vessel, nearby residential buildings, and an oil depot, injuring three crew members.

June Goh, senior oil market analyst at Sparta Commodities, said “Ukrainian drone attacks … have sparked new fears of oil supply flow disruptions as this port is the second largest oil export hub in Russia,” noting that the strike occurred less than two weeks after a major incident in Tuapse.

She added: “The extent of the damage is not yet known but if the pattern of escalation continues, then there would be a supply curtailment both in crude and product exports out of Russia.”

Industry data indicates that Novorossiysk handled 3.22 million tonnes of crude exports in October—around 761,000 barrels per day—and 1.794 million tonnes of oil products.

The rebound in prices comes after both Brent and WTI slid roughly 3% on Wednesday, pressured by an OPEC forecast showing global supply is likely to slightly exceed demand in 2026, a shift from previous deficit projections.

U.S. data also contributed to market volatility. The Energy Information Administration reported a sharp rise in crude stockpiles last week, with inventories climbing 6.4 million barrels to 427.6 million—more than triple analysts’ expectations.

Meanwhile, investors are closely watching how newly enacted U.S. sanctions targeting Russian oil firms could reshape trade flows. Washington has barred transactions with Rosneft and Lukoil after November 21 as part of broader efforts to pressure Moscow.

JPMorgan said Thursday that nearly 1.4 million barrels a day of Russian crude—almost one-third of its seaborne exports—has accumulated in floating storage as sanctions slow offloading. The bank warned that unloading could become considerably more difficult after the sanctions deadline.

Gold prices pushed higher in Asian trading on Friday, supported by renewed risk aversion as markets confronted a murky U.S. economic outlook. Still, optimism was tempered as traders continued dialing back expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in December, limiting the metal’s advance.

The precious metal was also on course to register its first weekly rise in a month, having reclaimed the $4,000 per-ounce threshold earlier in the week. Strength spilled over into other precious metals as well.

Spot gold climbed 0.4% to $4,187.43 per ounce by 00:24 ET (05:24 GMT), while December futures eased slightly to $4,190.75 per ounce.

Safe-haven demand supports gold amid U.S. data uncertainty

Gold’s roughly 5% weekly rise reflected increased safe-haven buying as investors remained uneasy about how upcoming U.S. economic data will look—especially in the aftermath of the nearly 43-day government shutdown that only just concluded.

While official statistics are expected to resume in the coming weeks, analysts worry that the delayed releases could reveal sharper-than-expected weakness. U.S. officials also indicated on Thursday that inflation and labor market figures for October might never be released due to the shutdown’s disruption.

Other precious metals advanced as well. Spot platinum rose 0.5% to $1,593.83 per ounce, while spot silver jumped 1.1% to $52.8815 per ounce. Silver was the standout performer this week, soaring about 9% and nearing October’s record levels.

Markets trim December Fed cut expectations

The lack of reliable economic data heading into the December Federal Reserve meeting has made traders more cautious, prompting a sharp pullback in bets on a rate cut.

ANZ analysts wrote that “It may take days or even weeks for the federal bureaucracy to fully restart and issue long awaited economic data. Any delays could keep Fed governors relatively cautious,” highlighting recent remarks from San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly that it remained too early to judge whether a rate reduction was appropriate.

According to CME’s FedWatch tool, the probability of a 25-basis-point cut has tumbled to 45.4%, down from 64.3% a week earlier. The likelihood of no change in rates has surged to 54.6%.

The U.S. dollar drew only mild support from the recalibration in pricing, as broader worries about economic momentum continued to outweigh the rate outlook. The currency was poised for a weekly loss of around 0.4%, helping prop up precious metal prices.

The U.S. dollar firmed slightly on Friday as traders lowered expectations for a December rate cut from the Federal Reserve. Even with the modest uptick, the greenback remained on course to end the week lower, with investors sifting through policy signals and awaiting fresh economic data now that the government has reopened.

At 04:05 ET (09:05 GMT), the Dollar Index was up 0.1% at 99.125, though still heading toward a roughly 0.4% weekly loss.

Dollar steadies after Fed officials strike cautious tone

The currency drew limited support after several Fed policymakers reiterated concerns about easing too aggressively, pointing to lingering inflation pressures and signs that hiring remains steady.

Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari told Bloomberg he opposed last month’s rate cut and remains undecided about whether to support another move in December.

Similarly, remarks from St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack suggested that cutting rates too soon risked making monetary policy “overly accommodative” with inflation still elevated.

Market data from CME Group’s FedWatch tool now shows just over a 50% chance of a rate cut at the December 10 meeting, down from 63% the day before.

Nevertheless, many investors remain cautious about taking fresh long-dollar positions as they await delayed U.S. economic releases.

Analysts at ING noted that “while the move in the dollar fits our bearish view, it feels a bit premature and at risk of rapid reversal should the initial batch of U.S. data prove not as bad as seemingly priced in.”

Sterling slips as UK fiscal strategy comes under scrutiny

GBP/USD fell 0.2% to 1.3172, surrendering part of its previous session’s gains against a soft dollar.

The pullback came after the Financial Times reported that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Finance Minister Rachel Reeves had abandoned plans to raise income tax rates ahead of the November 26 budget — a major shift in policy direction.

ING commented, “It’s not clear how Reeves plans to fill the £30bn fiscal hole without touching income tax. Media reports are currently suggesting a number of options being considered. One appears to be freezing the threshold for income tax brackets, which would have a similar fiscal effect as raising the rate on one bracket and could be well received by markets.”

EUR/USD hovered at 1.1632 after touching a two-week high on Thursday. Investors now look to eurozone GDP data expected to show 0.2% quarterly growth in Q3.

ING added, “EUR/USD has now entirely erased its undervaluation gap, and we now feel less confident about short-term upside unless U.S. data come in soft. We see some correction risks today, with a return below 1.160 surely possible.”

Yuan weakens after soft Chinese data; yen, aussie move higher

In Asia, USD/CNY edged up 0.1% to 7.1007 after China reported disappointing October economic indicators, including weaker industrial production and a sharper-than-expected decline in fixed-asset investment. Retail sales offered a modest upside surprise but still slowed from September.

USD/JPY ticked higher to 154.60, recovering part of Thursday’s retreat from the closely watched 155 level — an area associated with past Japanese government intervention.

AUD/USD advanced 0.6% to 0.6577 after stronger Australian labor market data reduced expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia will deliver further rate cuts.