(Sharecast News) - London open

The FTSE 100 was called to open around 40 points higher.
Stocks to watch

Computacenter boosted full-year guidance on the back of strong second-quarter trading, including bumper demand from hyperscalers. The technology and services provider said trading in the three months to 30 June had been ahead of expectations, building on an "excellent" first quarter. As a result, interim profits are likely to be around double the previous year, and full-year results were forecast to be "comfortably ahead" of market expectations.

Gambling software maker Playtech said it expected annual earnings to be "significantly" above estimates after a strong performance in the first six months of the year. The company now expects adjusted EBITDA for the year to December 2026 to be at least €270m compared with analyst estimates of €205m to €225m.

Newspaper round-up

UK vets may have to have a licence and cap prescriptions for pet medicine at £21 under plans being considered by the government. Ministers are also considering establishing a regulator for the veterinary sector, including inspections, a mandatory licensing system and published compliance reports to improve accountability and choice. Every vet practice could need an official operating licence - similar to GP surgeries and care homes - under proposals in a white paper. - Guardian

Britain's most recently completed nuclear power plant will continue generating electricity until 2055 after the government granted the power plant, which was first synchronised with the National Grid in 1995, a 20-year life extension. Sizewell B in Suffolk was due to shut down within the next decade, but under a deal with the government its lifetime will be extended to 60 years to help meet the UK's growing demand for low-carbon electricity. - Guardian

Russia has banned diesel exports after a series of Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries triggered widespread fuel shortages across the country. The Kremlin announced the emergency measure in a meeting on Wednesday, admitting that the situation regarding supplies remained fragile. Escalating attacks by Ukrainian drones on oil infrastructure has already drastically curbed diesel supplies in some regions, leading to long queues appearing at petrol stations on a daily basis. - Telegraph

The veteran stockpicker Terry Smith has accused Unilever of misleading him over its $66 billion food merger, in a fresh broadside just months after ditching his entire holding in the consumer goods group. In his latest investor update, Smith, who runs the Fundsmith Equity Fund and was a top-ten Unilever shareholder for more than a decade, claimed the company had assured him there would be no more disposals "for the foreseeable future" after the spin-off of its ice cream division late last year. - The Times

Dock workers in Australia are demanding a 28-hour week, with no reduction in pay, as one of the country's largest shipping terminal operators pushes to use artificial intelligence to automate processes at its facilities. The Maritime Union of Australia said DP World's use of AI had put jobs "in the crosshairs", and argued that the technology "should be used to improve workers' lives, not destroy them". - The Times

US close

US stock markets finished mixed on Wednesday, with the Dow falling sharply as the Nasdaq partially rebounded following a sell-off the previous session, with investors digesting the breakdown of diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran.

The resumption of strikes between the US and Iran caused oil prices to spike once again, with Brent rising 5.2% to $78.02 a barrel, temporarily topping the $80 mark for the first time in three weeks, while WTI rose 4.4% to $73.52.

As a result, the Dow dropped 1,1% to 52,348.39, falling for the second day after hitting a record closing high of 53,055.91 on Monday.

The S&P 500 also declined for the second straight session, slipping 0.3%, while the Nasdaq rose 0.2%, partially rebounding after a 1.2% slump on Tuesday.

• News Channel