The FTSE 100 index closed Friday down 0.9% at 7,576 points, underperforming peers after Thursday's global rally mainly driven by the pharmaceutical sector. GSK and Astrazeneca shares closed down 2.9% and 2.7%, respectively, after U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren urged the regulator to probe claims about price increases CMC Markets U.K. chief market analyst Michael Hewson says in a note. "The White House went on to say that as part of any new legislation to make drugs more affordable, any pharma companies found to have raised prices more than they should could be forced to pay rebates to Medicare in early 2024," Hewson adds. Among the index worst performers, St. James's Place closed down 4.7%, followed by Auto Trader Group and Hargreaves Lansdown as shares dropped 4.6% and 3.7%.

COMPANIES NEWS:

Avation Refinances Four Leased Aircraft Under Loan Facility

Avation said it has refinanced four leased aircraft under a loan facility for a portfolio of aircraft provided by Investec Bank.

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Sosandar Appoints Nick Mustoe as Permanent Nonexecutive Chairman

Sosandar has appointed Nick Mustoe as nonexecutive chairman, it said Friday.

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Naked Wines Pretax Loss Widens on Reduced Customer Growth

Naked Wines has reported a widened pretax loss for the first half of its fiscal 2024 due to reduced investment in new customer acquisition amid a challenging environment.

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Heathrow Sees Rise in Revenue on Strong Passenger Numbers

London's Heathrow Airport said it expects to report a rise in revenue and adjusted Ebitda for 2023 on a strong traffic recovery in the first 11 months of the year.

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XLMedia Shares Fell After Warning on North America Revenues

Shares of XLMedia fell in early trade after the company said that revenue from North America will miss the company's previous forecasts, with those that are usually generated between August and October being delayed until mid-November onward.

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Kropz Agrees to New $6.3 Mln Loan Facility

Kropz said it had agreed to a new loan with ARC Fund due to delays stemming from the refinancing of a BNP loan, and that it will be used to fund creditor obligations, as well as other operational expenditure needs.

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Reach PLC to Pay GBP140,600 in Damages to Prince Harry in Mirror Hacking Case

Reach PLC said a court ruled to award Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, 140,600 pounds ($179,500)--against a total of GBP443,025 sought in court--as part of the ruling in the Mirror Group Newspapers hacking case.

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Future PLC Outgoing CFO Ladkin-Brand's Remuneration Hit

Future Plc said that Penny Ladkin-Brand won't receive an award under the performance share plan in fiscal 2024 following her decision to step down from the board next year.

MARKET TALK:

Trainline Gathers Speed After Scrapping of Potential Rival Platform

1306 GMT - Trainline will focus on its plans to expand in Europe after the U.K.'s Department of Transport shelved plans to launch a ticketing platform, AJ Bell analyst Russ Mould says in a note. Investors have reacted positively to the removal of a potential competing threat in the company's core market after the initial reaction to the state-backed app saw a fall in shares, showing how vulnerable it is to fresh competition, Mould says. "Barriers to entry are relatively modest and Trainline can't afford to rest on its laurels. But for now, the business appears to be on the right track," Mould says. Shares are up 14% at 323.40 pence. (anthony.orunagoriainoff@dowjones.com)

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Naked Wines Sees Brighter Outlook for Fiscal 2025

1141 GMT - Naked Wines strikes a positive tone on the shift to cash generation as it anticipates a GBP40 million to GBP50 million cash inflow from inventory by the end of fiscal 2025, Jefferies analysts Andrew Wade and Grace Gilberg write in a research note. Therefore, Jefferies sees funding risk shrink given the brighter outlook for cash generation provided by the London-listed online wine retailer. However, the analysts question the company's ability to recruit sufficient customers to return to growth while highlighting that its core customers remain resilient, along with the U.K. returning to stable membership base in recent months. Shares are up 9% at 47 pence.(najat.kantouar@wsj.com)


Contact: London NewsPlus, Dow Jones Newswires;


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

12-15-23 1307ET