Shares in Anglo American, the British mining heavyweight and owner of De Beers diamond group, are set to rise after confirming a takeover bid from its larger Australian rival BHP. The potential deal has sparked interest in the City of London, with Anglo American futures gaining 4.4pc.
Barclays, however, reported a fall in first-quarter profits due to challenges in mortgage lending and slower activity in parts of its investment bank. Despite the decline, pre-tax profits were ahead of forecasts. The UK’s income dropped 7pc, partly due to changes in customer deposits and mortgages.
Meanwhile, Meta’s share price continued to plummet, losing nearly 17pc in after-hours trading. This negative trend impacted Asian equities, with markets in Japan and South Korea experiencing declines, while Hong Kong and Shanghai saw mixed results.
On Wall Street, a mixed performance was observed as investors awaited key US inflation data and processed varied corporate earnings. The Dow Jones ended slightly down, the S&P 500 remained flat, and the Nasdaq inched up.
In summary, the potential takeover bid between Anglo American and BHP, along with developments in banking and tech sectors, continues to drive market activity and investor sentiment globally.
