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Investing.com -- British stocks were lower on Monday, with the pound slightly higher after weakening against the dollar on Friday, while wider European markets were somewhat mixed.
The blue-chip index FTSE 100 fell 0.2% and the British GBP/USD edged higher 0.1% against the dollar to 1.32.
The DAX index in Germany fell 1% and the CAC 40 in France dropped 0.3%. Elsewhere, the AEX in the Netherlands rose 0.5% and the IBEX 35 in Spain gained 0.1%.
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UK round up
The UK is preparing to finalize a major pharmaceutical agreement with the United States that would remove import tariffs on pharmaceutical products entering the US market, The Times reported Monday.
Industry sources cited in the report indicate that the UK government has agreed to reduce an industry sales rebate rate on National Health Service (NHS) drug prices as part of the negotiations. The agreement would also include improvements to the NHS’s cost-effectiveness measure for medications, potentially changing how drugs are evaluated for use in the British healthcare system.
In a separate development, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed confidence that the UK economy can exceed current growth projections. During his speech, Starmer focused on explaining how economic policies recently announced by Finance Minister Rachel Reeves would put Britain on the right track.
EasyJet PLC (LON:EZJ) has completed required software updates on its Airbus A320 family aircraft following a global directive issued by Airbus on Friday.
The budget airline implemented the modifications over the weekend without disrupting its flight schedule. The company confirmed its financial outlook remains unchanged from what was presented in its fiscal year 2025 results on November 25.
Wizz Air Holdings PLC (LON:WIZZ) has completed software updates on 83 operational aircraft affected by a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) airworthiness directive, the company announced Monday.
The directive, issued on Thursday, required amendments to Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC) software on specific aircraft in Wizz Air’s fleet.
In other news, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has denied accusations that she misled the British public ahead of the autumn statement during a Sky News interview over the weekend.
Questions have arisen about a pre-budget speech Reeves delivered on November 4, an unusual step for a chancellor. During this address, Reeves asked the British public to support her budget plans but did not reaffirm Labour’s manifesto commitment against broad-based tax increases, fueling speculation about the government’s fiscal plans.
Meanwhile, Plus500 Ltd (LON:PLUSP) has been appointed as the clearing partner for CME Group and FanDuel’s new event-based contracts platform, the company announced Monday.
The global multi-asset fintech group will provide brokerage-execution and clearing services for FanDuel Prediction Markets, a non-clearing Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) and joint venture between CME Group and FanDuel, which is part of Flutter Entertainment plc.
In separate news, Tullow Oil PLC (LON:TLW) announced the appointment of Roald Goethe as independent non-executive Chair of the Board, effective Monday.
Goethe, who has served as an independent non-executive Director at Tullow since February 2023, brings extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, particularly in Africa. His background includes significant roles at Trafigura Group, where he helped develop oil trading activities in West Africa, and founding Delaney Petroleum Ltd, which traded crude oil and petroleum products in West Africa and the Middle East.
In other news, Peel Hunt Ltd (LON:PEEL) reported a 38.3% year-on-year increase in group revenue to £74.4 million for the six months ended September 30, 2025. The UK investment bank saw profit before tax surge 858.3% to £11.5 million compared to £1.2 million in the same period last year. Adjusted profit before tax rose 306.5% to £18.7 million.
All three business divisions contributed to growth. Investment Banking revenue increased 45.6% to £32.9 million, with M&A advisory fees representing about 70% of overall Investment Banking deal fees. The firm acted as financial adviser on 10 M&A transactions with a total deal value of £8.1 billion, ranking third in UK public M&A league tables.
The The Renewables Infrastructure Group Ltd (LON:TRIG) announced that HICL Infrastructure PLC has withdrawn from their proposed combination, which was initially announced on November 17. Richard Morse, Chair of TRIG, expressed regret that investors would not have the opportunity to vote on creating what would have been the largest listed UK infrastructure investment company.
Impax Asset Management Group Plc (LON:IPX) reported a decline in assets under management to £26.1 billion for the year ended September 30, down from £37.2 billion a year earlier. The sustainable investment specialist faced net outflows of £13.0 billion during the period, compared to outflows of £5.8 billion in the previous year. Revenue decreased by 16.6% to £141.9 million, while adjusted operating profit fell 36.2% to £33.6 million.
Wynnstay Group (LON:WYWYN) announced that its underlying trading results for the year ended October 31, 2025, are expected to be modestly ahead of current market expectations. The agricultural supplies group anticipates adjusted profit before tax of approximately £9.0 million, compared to market consensus of £8.5 million.
A Bangladesh court has sentenced British parliamentarian and former minister Tulip Siddiq to two years in jail for corruption related to the alleged illegal allocation of a plot of land, according to local media reports.
The verdict was delivered in absentia. Her aunt, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, received a five-year jail sentence while Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana was sentenced to seven years in the same case.