Deutsche Bank’s new chief executive Christian Sewing has warned investors that the second quarter has been difficult, after announcing plans to cut more than 7,000 jobs.

UK retail sales rose at a surprisingly rapid clip in April, gaining 1.6 per cent on the month from a decline of 1.2 per cent in March.

The European Central Bank has warned the eurozone’s more heavily indebted member states that loosening their fiscal policy could cause investors to offload their bonds.

Kremlin-run lender VTB has sold a third of its stake in top Russian supermarket chain Magnit to a private equity firm just months after buying it.

Italian assets are having an easier morning, as investors keep wary watch on the Eurosceptic coaltion’s ascent to power.

Donald Trump’s announcement he had initiated a national security investigation into car imports drove European carmakers’ shares lower in early trade as investors digested the risks of tariffs similar to those imposed on steel and aluminium.

TalkTalk — like all telecoms groups, and unlike all aged parents — is aware that the last thing anyone wants to do down a phone line these days is . . . talk talk.

Home improvement enthusiasts are a hardy bunch, but the latest batch of bad weather was too much even for them.

Plus500, the online retail trading platform, has said it plans to list on the London Stock Exchange’s main market, after more than quadrupling its share price in the past 18 months thanks in part to the popularity of its cryptocurrency derivatives.

The road to flying taxis cranked up a gear on Thursday after ride-hailing app Uber said that it plans to invest €20m in France over the next five years to develop aerial mobility.

FTSE 250 bank Paragon shrugged off the impact of a “subdued” market to increase its profits 11 per cent in the first half of its financial year, upgrading its full-year lending forecasts as it attempts to transform from a specialist group into a more broadly-based bank.

Daily Mail and General Trust, the company that bears the name of the tabloid it controls as well as its website and the Metro newspaper, said it is braced for “challenging market conditions”, though a boost from the sale of property site ZPG should give it a cushion.

TalkTalk has reported a 35 per cent fall in profit for the year to March as it absorbed the cost of a restructuring of the company and invested in stimulating growth in its customer base. 

Tate & Lyle saw profits rise by nearly a quarter but sales drop in its latest financial year, the final set of results under longstanding chief executive Javed Ahmed, who stood down at the end of March. 

Transport group Go-Ahead has said it will deliver full-year results that are slightly ahead of investors’ expectations, despite a major overhaul to timetables in its main rail business having resulted in chaos for commuters this week.

LVMH has led a fundraising round in fashion search platform Lyst as the world’s largest luxury group by revenues seeks to expand and improve its presence online.

As part of the investment, LVMH’s head of digital Ian Rogers will have a seat on the board of Lyst.

The Trump administration says it is pressing European allies to impose tougher sanctions against Russia, arguing that their actions lag US efforts to clamp down on Moscow’s moves to subvert western democracies through disinformation campaigns and cyber attacks.

The Canadian government has moved to block a Chinese company from purchasing a Canadian construction business, citing national security concerns.

Australia’s corporate regulator has failed to prove that Westpac rigged the country’s benchmark interest rate, although the bank engaged in “unconscionable conduct” in seeking to influence the bank bill swap rate, an Australia Court ruled on Thursday.

Equities across the Asia Pacific region were mostly lower on Thursday, led by Japanese and South Korean carmakers, after US President Donald Trump instructed trade officials to consider a national security investigation into automotive imports. 

Go-Jek, the ride-sharing group, on Thursday announced a $500m expansion into four south-east Asian countries, including Singapore – the market where its main rival Grab is based.

The Japanese currency was firmer on Thursday as investors continued to showed signs of favouring haven assets amid building geopolitical uncertainty.

Brazil's state-owned oil company Petrobras bowed to pressure from a growing truckers' strike over high fuel prices in Latin America's largest country, announcing a temporary 10 per cent cut in diesel prices.