US economy likely to have contracted at fastest pace since Great Depression
8.17am BST
AstraZeneca, the UK’s biggest pharmaceutical company, has reported better than expected results for the April to June quarter and stuck to its 2020 forecasts, helped by strong sales during Covid-19 lockdowns and the success of new medicines. Total revenues rose 11% to $6.3bn and core earnings grew 31% to 96 cents a share. AstraZeneca shares were one of the biggest risers on the FTSE 100 in early trading, up 2.5%.
This contrasts with GSK yesterday, which missed profit forecasts after a fall in vaccine sales – because fewer people went to the doctor’s for fear of catching Covid-19 – and as stockpiling of painkillers and respiratory drugs tailed off.
8.05am BST
And we’re off! European shares have mostly opened lower.
Continue reading…US economy likely to have contracted at fastest pace since Great Depression 8.17am BSTAstraZeneca, the UK’s biggest pharmaceutical company, has reported better than expected results for the April to June quarter and stuck to its 2020 forecasts, helped by strong sales during Covid-19 lockdowns and the success of new medicines. Total revenues rose 11% to $6.3bn and core earnings grew 31% to 96 cents a share. AstraZeneca shares were one of the biggest risers on the FTSE 100 in early trading, up 2.5%.This contrasts with GSK yesterday, which missed profit forecasts after a fall in vaccine sales – because fewer people went to the doctor’s for fear of catching Covid-19 – and as stockpiling of painkillers and respiratory drugs tailed off. 8.05am BSTAnd we’re off! European shares have mostly opened lower. Continue reading…