London markets opened lower Wednesday as investors reacted to Burberry’s sharp swing into loss and cautious trading in global equities. Meanwhile, GSK secured a $2bn deal to expand its liver disease treatment pipeline, and Imperial Brands posted steady profits despite falling revenue.
We also cover Persimmon’s £100m broadband divestment, Compass Group’s slowing growth, and early signs of recovery at Marshalls. Plus: updates from Wall Street, where Nvidia and Boeing climbed on trade and AI optimism, while UnitedHealth plunged on CEO news.
Start your day sharp with CityCast AM—your five-minute financial news briefing.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro & FTSE open: Down 20 points
00:20 – Burberry reports £66m loss, warns on global tariffs
00:55 – GSK signs $2bn liver disease deal with Boston Pharmaceuticals
01:35 – Imperial Brands: Revenue down, profit up, guidance steady
02:15 – Persimmon sells FibreNest to BUUK for £100m
02:45 – Marshalls: Revenue rises, landscaping decline slows
03:10 – Compass Group: Shares fall on slower organic growth
03:45 – Asia markets: Nikkei down, Hang Seng gains 2%
04:00 – Wall Street recap: Nasdaq +1.6%, Dow slips
• UnitedHealth -17.79%
• Boeing +2.46%
• Nvidia +5.63% on Saudi chip deal
• Microsoft slightly down on job cuts
05:20 – Wrap-up: Back at lunch with more market updates
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