easyJet Share News (EZJ)

LONDON (Alliance News) - Stock prices in London are seen opening higher on Tuesday following a strong close in the US overnight and gains in Asian equity markets, as investors reacted positively to US and Chinese manufacturing data released on Monday.In company news, the spat between Provident Financial and Non-Standard Finance took another twist, BHP is lowering its iron ore guidance, Ryanair and Wizz Air issued upbeat trading statements, and womenswear retailer Bonmarche received a discounted takeover offer.IG futures indicate the FTSE 100 index is to open up 15.02 points at 7,332.40. The blue-chip index closed up 38.19 points, or 0.5%, at 7,317.38 on Monday.Provident Financial said Chief Financial Officer Simon Thomas is to take up to three months leave starting on Friday to have a heart operation. Thomas is expected to return to work full time no later than June. The subprime lender said Tony Skrzypecki is to be interim CFO.Provident Financial has been embroiled in a hostile takeover battle with John van Kuffeler's Non-Standard Finance, with the two companies trading barbs over the past few months. Van Kuffeler was CEO of Provident between 1991 to 2013.Non-Standard Finance said it has received bid acceptances from over 50% of Provident shareholders, but added that 90% of acceptances is required for success. In response, Provident reiterated its rejection of the Non-Standard Finance offer and said it continues to explore alternatives to maximise shareholder value.Ryanair Holdings reported an increase in traffic for the month of March, with passenger numbers up 9% to 10.9 million. On a rolling annual basis Ryanair's traffic was up 9% to 142.1 million. Smaller budget airline Wizz Air Holdings said it expects its annual profit to come in towards the top of its guidance, while also reporting traffic growth in March. Wizz Air Holdings said trading in the fourth quarter of its financial year ended on Sunday is in line with expectations. The central and eastern Europe-focused airline expects to deliver a net annual profit for the year in the upper half of its guidance range of between EUR270 million and EUR300 million. HSBC took a downbeat view of the airline sector, downgrading its ratings on easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air to Hold from Buy. Irish building materials firm CRH said it completed the fourth phase of its share buyback programme, returning a further EUR200 million of cash to shareholders. The company added that this brings total cash returned to shareholders under our share buyback programme to approximately EUR1 billion over the last 12 months.CRH added that further share buybacks are "under active consideration".Construction firm Galliford Try said it signed an agreement with Homes England to build more than 850 homes across the UK.The housebuilder said the partnership will deliver housing across key sites in Redcar, Cheshire, Staffordshire and Dorset. The homes will be constructed as part of Homes England's initiative to build new housing at pace. Construction work will begin on the projects immediately with the first planning applications due to be submitted later in April and the first homes expected to be completed in spring 2020.Miner BHP Group will be reviewing its 2019 production guidance following disruption caused by Cyclone Veronica in Australia.The storm has not caused any major damage at Port Hedland in Western Australia, BHP said, but flooding has hampered the movement of trains. As a result, Port Hedland, part of BHP's iron ore arm, is operating at a reduced rate and will continue to do so until later in April.BHP said an early estimate of the impact will see 2019 production fall by around 6 million to 8 million tonnes, and it is also reviewing unit cost guidance. A further update will be provided after further work is carried out, it said.Spectre Holdings, a Dubai-registered company 100% owned by Edinburgh Woolen Mill owner Philip Day, has made a mandatory cash offer for clothing retailer Bonmarche after taking a 52.4% stake. The offer values Bonmarche at GBP5.7 million, against its GBP8.7 million current market value. Spectre pointed to a significant decline in Bonmarche's profitability and said it could offer advice and support.The Japanese Nikkei 225 index ended flat. In China, the Shanghai Composite is up 0.7%, while the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong is up 0.2%.In the US on Monday, Wall Street ended higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite both up 1.3%, while the S&P 500 ended 1.2% higher."Rebounding US manufacturing helped US shares advance at the start of the new quarter. The S&P 500 surged to its highest level since October while stocks across Asia also rallied on Tuesday, setting European indices up for a positive start," said London Capital Group's Jasper Lawler.On Monday, a report from the Institute for Supply Management unexpectedly showing a faster rate of growth in US manufacturing activity in the month of March.Additionally on Monday, data showed Chinese manufacturing activity unexpectedly grew for the first time in four months in March. A private survey also showed the manufacturing sector in the world's second-biggest economy returning to expansion."Traders are growing increasingly optimistic that the world's two largest economies are starting to stabilise, amid better recent data prints," Lawler said.The pound was quoted at USD1.3065 early Tuesday, down from USD1.3118 at the London equities close Monday.UK Prime Minister Theresa May will seek to break the Brexit deadlock as she gathers her Cabinet for a marathon session of crisis talks in Downing Street.The prime minister and her senior ministers will take stock after members of Parliament again failed to find a majority for a series of alternatives to her Brexit deal.A call for a customs union with the EU was rejected by just three votes, while a demand for a second referendum was defeated by 12 and a Norway-style deal put forward by Nick Boles by 21.To cap a dramatic day in the Commons, Boles immediately declared that he would no longer sit as a Conservative MP, blaming the party for refusing to compromise on a means of leaving the EU.Cabinet will meet on Tuesday for five hours to thrash out a way forward.In Tuesday's economic calendar, the UK's construction PMI is at 0930 BST while eurozone producer prices are at 1000 BST and US durable goods orders are at 1330 BST.At 0800 BST, Kantar releases its latest grocery share figures for the 12 weeks ending March 24.