WTB.L - Whitbread PLC

UPDATE 2-FTSE 100 falls behind Europe as earnings disappoint

Underwhelming trading updates from Pearson and Whitbread broke a three-day winning run for London's main index on Thursday, while investors exercised caution amid a lack of clarity on some elements of the U.S.-China trade deal. The FTSE 100 drifted in and out of the red but ended 0.4% lower, underperforming the STOXX 600 which added 0.2%. The FTSE 250, however, eked out a 0.04% gain, helped by a strengthening of the pound as well as an 8% leap in Wood Group after the oilfield services provider forecast higher 2019 core earnings.

Premarket London: Pearson Revenue Flat, CFO Departs; Whitbread Sales Dip

Investing.com - Here is a summary from the most important regulatory news releases from the London Stock Exchange ahead of the UK market open on Thursday 16 January. Please refresh for updates for UK market news from the LSE’s RNS on individual UK shares from FTSE 100, FTSE 250 and FTSE All-Share.

Ex-divs to take 6.5 points off FTSE 100 on Nov 7

LIVE MARKETS-Closing snapshot: Brexit ultimatum

* European shares up and down in choppy station * Waiting for another crunch Brexit vote * Results in focus: Saab rallies, Reckitt down sharply * M&A heats up in food delivery: Prosus makes rival bid for Just Eat * Wall Street higher Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Julien Ponthus. Reach him on Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: julien.ponthus.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net CLOSING SNAPSHOT: BREXIT ULTIMATUM (1550 GMT) It is one of those days when it looks like the market is just waiting for the Brexit vote... Again! The pan European index has been moving up and down in positive territory during the afternoon as investors avoid big bets due to Brexit uncertainty.

LIVE MARKETS-One less thing to worry about on Q3 Thursday

* European shares up and down in choppy station * STOXX 600 flat, FTSE 100 up 0.5% * Waiting for another crunch Brexit vote * Results in focus: Saab rallies, Reckitt down sharply * M&A heats up in food delivery: Prosus makes rival bid for Just Eat * Wall Street higher Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Julien Ponthus. Reach him on Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: julien.ponthus.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net ONE LESS THING TO WORRY ABOUT ON Q3 THURSDAY (1422 GMT) This coming Thursday will be key in setting the tone for the overall Q3 earnings season with a flurry of blue chips reporting profits across geographies and sectors. One comforting thought is that while scrutinising P&Ls for any sign of a bottom-up or a further macro gloom contamination, investors need not, at least it seems, to worry about the colour of Draghi's tie at the ECB press conference.

LIVE MARKETS-Brexit: More upside yet for UK midcaps?

* European shares up and down in choppy station * STOXX 600 flat, FTSE 100 up 0.5% * Results in focus: Saab rallies, Reckitt down sharply * M&A heats up in food delivery: Prosus makes rival bid for Just Eat * Dow futures turn lower after McDonald's Q3 results Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Julien Ponthus. Reach him on Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: julien.ponthus.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net BREXIT: MORE UPSIDE YET FOR UK MIDCAPS? Anyhow, here are a few quotes making that point from analysts we just spoke too while refreshing this story from Friday: Brexit nod from parliament to unleash 4% rally in pound, send UK plc to record high Here you go: Evan Brown, Head of Multi-Asset Strategy at UBS AM: "If a deal is passed, which is our base case, then we expect the news to be positive at the margin for all UK equities in a global context.

LIVE MARKETS-How's 2019? Actually, it's rarely been better!

* European shares up in choppy station * STOXX 600 up 0.1%, FTSE 100 up 0.6% * Results in focus: Saab rallies, Reckitt down sharply * M&A heats up in food delivery: Prosus makes rival bid for Just Eat Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Julien Ponthus. Reach him on Messenger to share your thoughts on market moves: julien.ponthus.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net HOW'S 2019? ACTUALLY, IT'S RARELY BEEN BETTER! (1003 GMT) With the trade war and Brexit looking less threatening by the day, there doesn't seem to be much in store to spoil 2019 returns for European equities - that is, if Q3 results don't prove disastrous.

LIVE MARKETS-Who performs better in times global growth scares?

* European shares down slightly after positive start * STOXX 600 down 0.1%, FTSE 100 up 0.3% * Results in focus: Saab rallies, Reckitt down sharply * M&A heats up in food delivery: Prosus makes rival bid for Just Eat Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of European equity markets brought to you by Reuters stocks reporters and anchored today by Julien Ponthus. 1. The rest of the world is more cyclical: the S&P 500 is only 40% exposed to manufacturing compared to 52% and 62% in Japan and Europe 2. In prior episodes of weakened global growth, the US has outperformed relative to the rest of the world (Danilo Masoni) ***** OPENING SNAPSHOT: OVERALL FLAT BUT PLENTY OF Q3 SWINGS (0733 GMT) The STOXX 600 opened just slightly positive but most European indexes are now tilted to the downside.