Source: Sharecast
Stocks to watch
Assura said it was "minded to recommend" an improved, £1.61bn cash takeover proposal from investment firms KKR and Stonepeak.
The consortium has offered 49.4p per share, which is 2.9% increase on the previous proposal of 48p per share.
Assura said: "Having carefully considered the possible cash offer with its advisers and consulted with the company's major shareholders extensively following the announcement of a possible offer on 14 February 2025, the board has indicated to the consortium that, should a firm offer be made on the financial terms set out above, it would be minded to recommend such an offer to Assura shareholders, subject to the agreement of the other terms of the offer."
Elsewhere, Deliveroo said it had decided to exit its Hong Kong operations through a sale of certain assets to Foodpanda and the closure of other assets.
Deliveroo Hong Kong has nominated liquidators to manage closure of the Hong Kong business and the remainder of its assets "in the most efficient way possible", it said.
The company said in a statement: "There are several dynamics specific to the Hong Kong market which led the board to consider strategic options and, given the group's commitment to disciplined capital allocation, determine that it would not serve shareholders' best interests to continue to operate in Hong Kong."
Deliveroo Hong Kong's platform will remain live until 7 April.
Great Portland Estates said it had secured its largest fully managed deal to date, letting more than 11,500 sq ft of office space to FTSE 100 retailer Next in central London on a five-year term.
No financial details were disclosed.
Newspaper round-up
Companies are putting the brakes on hiring new staff amid a “subdued” economic outlook and rising wage bills, according to the latest business surveys. In signs of a weakening UK labour market, the consultancy KPMG and the trade body the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said a marked decline in the number of people being placed in permanent and temporary roles continued in February, although hiring declined at a slower pace than in January. – Guardian
Councils and mayors will be granted greater powers to seize land to build affordable housing under the Labour government’s shake-up of planning rules this week. Local authorities in England and Wales will no longer need permission from central government to make compulsory purchase orders (CPOs), in a change that ministers hope will unlock vacant and derelict land. – Guardian
Elon Musk’s satellite technology is set to be deployed to help keep GPs in rural parts of England connected to the internet. The NHS has awarded a contract worth £85,000 to Starlink, which is part of Mr Musk’s SpaceX, to help provide internet services to GP practices and administrative offices in the North East and North Cumbria. – Telegraph
London is at risk of being swamped by burst pipes and sewage leaks if Thames Water is forced into an emergency nationalisation later this month, insiders fear. There are growing concerns that maintenance and repair works could grind to a halt if a multibillion-pound private sector-led bailout is rejected by the Court of Appeal in the coming days. – Telegraph
The beleaguered boss of BP has insisted that a move to increase fossil fuel production and abandon green energy targets is “resonating” with investors, as he races to convince shareholders that he can turn around the fortunes of the oil major. In his first public comments since promising a “fundamentally reset” strategy two weeks ago, Murray Auchincloss writes in The Times that unwinding a series of “misplaced” targets set out five years ago had been well received as he steps up efforts to woo investors. – The Times
US close
US stocks managed to finish the week on a positive note after a volatile session following a weaker-than-expected jobs report and comments from the head of the Federal Reserve, who said policymakers were in a holding pattern on interest rates.
After swinging between gains and losses for most of the day, the Dow closed 0.5% higher, the S&P 500 gained 0.6% and the Nasdaq climbed 0.7% - though the three indices finished the week down nearly 3% each.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit four- and five-month lows the previous session, respectively, after a tumultuous few days for investors on the back yet more unpredictable moves by Donald Trump regarding tariffs.