Markets hit snooze as summer lull sets in
By Iain Gilbert
Date: Friday 15 Aug 2025
(Sharecast News) - LONDON PRE-OPEN
The FTSE 100 was expected to open 45.9 points higher ahead of the bell on Friday after wrapping up the previous session 0.13% firmer at 9,177.24.
STOCKS TO WATCH
No FTSE 350 firms were slated to release earnings on Friday, as traders paused for breath amid the seasonal slowdown.
NEWSPAPER ROUND-UP
The National Farmers' Union has called for a meeting with Rachel Reeves to discuss changes to Labour's inheritance tax reforms after fresh evidence from tax experts that the planned changes may not achieve their stated goal of removing the incentive for rich people to shelter their wealth from tax by buying up farmland. The chancellor's plan, which comes into force next April, "largely protects family farms whilst limiting claims by the wealthiest estates", according to a report by researchers at the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation, which has proposed amendments to the inheritance tax changes. - Guardian
The price of the weight loss jab Mounjaro will rise by up to 170% in the UK, its US manufacturer has said, as Donald Trump ramps up pressure on drugmakers to increase their prices for Europeans so that they can make them more affordable for Americans. Eli Lilly has said it will increase the price of the drug from September, with a month's supply of the highest dose rising from £122 to £330. - Guardian
A London-based advertising agency has denied holding any takeover talks with Sir Martin Sorrell and insisted it has no interest in a deal. MSQ Partners said it was "surprised" by a recent announcement from Sir Martin's S4 Capital following a report by Sky News that claimed it had received an approach about a possible merger. - Telegraph
Fears of a fresh inheritance tax raid by Rachel Reeves have sent a chill through Britain's housing market, a leading estate agent warned. Bosses at Savills, one of Britain's largest property agents, said a "vacuum" of information on IHT changes from the Government was forcing prospective house buyers to hold fire on purchases. - Telegraph
Gatwick Airport's outgoing boss said he is "optimistic" that the airport's expansion plan will be approved. But Stewart Wingate also warned that the £2.2bn plan to create a second runway could be grounded if disputes with the Treasury and the Department for Transport are left unresolved. - The Times
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has revealed a $1.6bn bet on the shares of a beleaguered US healthcare giant. Berkshire Hathaway has acquired 5m shares in UnitedHealth Group, a health insurer, which acknowledged it is under criminal investigation by the Department of Justice last month. The investment gives Berkshire a stake in United valued at $1.6bn. - The Times
US CLOSE
The strongest rise in wholesale prices in three years limited upside for stocks on Thursday, with markets flatlining after hopes for an imminent interest-rate cut propelled indices to record highs the previous session.
At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.02% at 44,911.26, while the S&P 500 ticked up 0.03% to 6,468.54, and the Nasdaq Composite saw out the session 0.01% softer at 21,710.67.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
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