News Archive

US close: Stocks pare losses but finish lower amid geopolitical jitters

19th Mar 2026 21:28

(Sharecast News) - Major indices pared earlier losses on Thursday but still closed lower as oil prices eased slightly despite a "dangerous escalation" in the war in the Middle East.

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Europe close: Stocks slide as oil prices climb further

19th Mar 2026 16:43

(Sharecast News) - European equity markets fell sharply on Thursday as escalating conflict between the United States and Israel, and Iran, triggered a fresh surge in energy prices and heightened fears over inflation and global growth.

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London close: Stocks sink to lowest since early January

19th Mar 2026 16:31

(Sharecast News) - UK stocks suffered a broad sell-off on Thursday, sending London's blue chips to their lowest levels since the start of the year, with investors digesting the latest policy decisions from central banks along with yet more wild swings on energy markets amid ongoing developments in the Middle East.

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US mulls lifting sanctions on stranded Iranian oil

19th Mar 2026 15:47

(Sharecast News) - The US is considering lifting sanctions on Iranian oil that has become stranded at sea following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

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FTSE 250 movers: Oil & gas stocks surge; Miners slump

19th Mar 2026 15:06

(Sharecast News) - FTSE 250: 21,574.24 -506.53 (-2.29%)

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Crypto.com to lay off 12% of workforce in AI push

19th Mar 2026 14:49

(Sharecast News) - Crypto.com is laying off 12% of its global workforce, it confirmed on Thursday, the latest tech company to slash headcount in favour of artificial intelligence.

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OpenAI to take over Astral for undisclosed sum

19th Mar 2026 14:37

(Sharecast News) - ChatGPT maker OpenAI has announced the acquisition of open source developer tool startup Astral for an undisclosed sum, bringing the firm into its Codex ecosystem.

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FTSE 100 movers: Precious metals miners slump; BP gains on refinery sale

19th Mar 2026 14:17

(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was a sea of red in afternoon trade on Thursday, with the index down 2.4% at 10,056.94.

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QatarEnergy may have to declare force majeure after Iran attack

19th Mar 2026 14:11

(Sharecast News) - The boss of QatarEnergy said on Thursday that the company may have to declare force majeure after Iran's attack damaged facilities that produce 17% ​of its ​liquefied natural gas export capacity.

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Broker tips: Diploma, Wickes

19th Mar 2026 14:06

(Sharecast News) - Analysts at Berenberg hiked their target price on technical products and services firm Diploma from 6,600p to 7,500p on Thursday following the firm's unscheduled trading update a day earlier.

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US new home sales fall 17.6pc in January

19th Mar 2026 14:02

(Sharecast News) - Sales of new single‑family homes fell sharply in January, dropping to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 587,000, according to the Census Bureau, down 17.6% from December's revised 712,000 pace and 11.3% lower year-on-year.

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US open: Stocks lower as oil surges on fresh Middle East escalation

19th Mar 2026 14:02

(Sharecast News) - Major indices were in the red early on Thursday as oil prices surged following a "dangerous escalation" in the war in the Middle East.

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European states, Japan 'ready to help' on Hormuz, energy markets

19th Mar 2026 13:49

(Sharecast News) - Five European nations and Japan on Thursday said they were ready to join "appropriate efforts" to ensure safe passage for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz which is currently closed to most vessels due to the Iran war.

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Fulham Shore exploring possible restructuring of The Real Greek chain

19th Mar 2026 13:40

(Sharecast News) - Fulham Shore, the owner of The Real Greek restaurant chain, is considering a formal restructuring of the business, according to reports in Sky News on Thursday.

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ECB holds rates as expected amid Iran conflict uncertainty

19th Mar 2026 13:26

(Sharecast News) - The European Central Bank left interest rates on hold at 2% on Thursday, as widely expected, as it said the war in the Middle East has made the outlook "significantly" more uncertain.

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