Recruitment firm Hays delivered full year results that were ahead of expectations but the outlook for the UK continues to look bleak in KBC Peel Hunt's view, though the broker notes this is largely reflected in the price.

Inter-dealer broker ICAP is set to launch a new electronic platform for euro interest rate swaps (IRS) on 6 September, which suggests to ICAP fan Panmure Gordon that dealers are warming to the faceless alternative to telephonic transactions.

The flotation of loss-making grocery delivery outfit Ocado was a humbling experience for some of the City's biggest names and a wallet-damaging one for shareholders persuaded to support it.

Inter-dealer broker ICAP is set to launch a new electronic platform for euro interest rate swaps (IRS) on 6 September, which suggests to ICAP fan Panmure Gordon that dealers are warming to the faceless alternative to telephonic transactions.

Hurricane season is underway and a 120 miles per hour category four hurricane, 'hurricane Earl', could hit land in North America later this year. For once, it looks as if the Gulf of Mexico will not be affected but a number of Lloyd's syndicates will be monitoring its progress for fear it will hit the eastern seaboard of the USA.

The winning streak has continued at EnCore Oil with another major North Sea find, offering Westhouse Securities an opportunity to reiterate its 'buy' recommendation and revise its target price to 84p.

Charles Stanley described in-line full-year results from drinks brands giant Diageo as 'resilient' and the broker thinks trading should continue to improve gradually in line with the recovery in the global economy.

Charles Stanley described in-line full-year results from drinks brands giant Diageo as 'resilient' and the broker thinks trading should continue to improve gradually in line with the recovery in the global economy.

Daniel Stewart has upped its current year product revenues forecast for BTG after the specialty pharmaceuticals company signed another agreement with US outfit Nyomed.

Business process outsourcing (BPO) specialist Xchanging held a conference call this week to clarify some accounting issues that were concerning the market, but questions remain on other fronts, Panmure Gordon reckons.

Business process outsourcing (BPO) specialist Xchanging held a conference call this week to clarify some accounting issues that were concerning the market, but questions remain on other fronts, Panmure Gordon reckons.

IQE, the world's largest merchant supplier of compound semiconductor wafers to the global wireless, consumer electronic, light emitting display and solar cell markets, is releasing results next week, and while FinnCap is not expecting things to have changed much since the July update, the second half of the year may present a brighter story.

Margins were lagging at AMEC in the first half of 2010 but the engineering and project management group beat expectations on revenue growth, Nomura Securities said.

FinnCap believes interim results from Hunting leave the oil services group well placed to achieve the broker's projected full year numbers which have been upgraded to take into account the recent Innova-Extel acquisition.

The halving of the interim dividend by fund manager F&C Asset Management caught the market on the hop, and is likely to sour sentiment in the short term, KBC Peel Hunt reckons.

FinnCap believes interim results from Hunting leave the oil services group well placed to achieve the broker's projected full year numbers which have been upgraded to take into account the recent Innova-Extel acquisition.

Car insurer Admiral was the top blue-chip performer in early trading on Wednesday after a sparkling set of results, but FinnCap thinks the stock remains fundamentally overvalued.