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UPDATED ON 03 FEBRUARY 2026
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AstraZeneca & Plus500: Markets live blog

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漏 Investors鈥 Chronicle
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February 3
产测听Erin Withey
Plus500 rallies on prediction markets push

Shares in Plus500 (PLUS) leapt 8 per cent in early trading, after the fintech group doubled down on its efforts to enter the growing US retail prediction markets business with a new joint venture.

The FTSE 250 company said it will expand its trading offering through the launch of event-based contracts on its US trading platform, 鈥楶lus500 Futures鈥. The service will be run in collaboration with Kalshi exchange, another US-based betting platform.

Prediction markets offer the chance for DIY and professional investors alike to express a view on real world events, and have grown in popularity in recent years.

The news comes after Plus500 was appointed as the clearing partner for FanDuel鈥檚 event-based contracts platform in December, marking the company鈥檚 first foray into the prediction markets space.

Find out why we鈥檙e bullish on Plus500

February 3
产测听Alex Hamer
LBG spends big and boasts of AI content

LBG Media (LBG), owner of Unilad and Ladbible, said it has hired teams of new executives in the US and UK to commit to its 鈥榙irect鈥 sales model. The company is also adding AI-generated editorial content to its titles to 鈥渄rive further opportunities for productivity gains and client engagement鈥.

Its shares fell 5.6 per cent on Tuesday morning, leaving them down almost a third in the past 12 months.

LBG reported sales of 拢92mn for the 12 months to 30 September, up 10 per cent when adjusted for currency changes. The direct business, where LBG sells 鈥渃ontent marketing services鈥 to brands and media agencies, had sales of 拢50mn, a 13 per cent rise, while indirect sales (payments from social media platforms) were flat at 拢41.5mn. Adjusted Ebitda for the year was up 3 per cent to 拢25mn.

These figures are adjusted as LBG shifted its financial year end from 31 December to 30 September. 鈥淲e are accelerating our investment to make the most of our healthy pipeline and the opportunity from major brands who are looking to our scale, content and appeal to reach young adults,鈥 said chief executive Solly Solomou.

February 3
产测听Alex Hamer
Jadestone hit by impairment

Jadestone Energy (JSE) issued what analysts called a reassuring update, although the shares fell 12 per cent in early trading.

The south east Asian oil and gas company said it hit production guidance of 19,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) last year and cut costs by 14 per cent. Sales climbed 3 per cent to $408mn (拢298mn) as higher gas prices balanced out the average oil take dropping from around $85 per barrel to $75. This was below the consensus estimate of $416mn.

Investors potentially sold shares due to the non-cash impairment that will come at the full-year announcement, a result of the 鈥渞educed oil price outlook鈥 at the end of 2025 compared with the year before.

鈥淭his is the type of reassuring statement that we believe can attract investors to the name, particularly given the steep discount the shares trade at versus NAV,鈥 said Stifel analyst David Round.

His model puts the discount at 61 per cent. 鈥淭he outlook appears better after the new management team has restored some stability and a chance for further growth,鈥 added Panmure Liberum analyst Ashley Kelty.

February 3
FDA delays AstraZeneca鈥檚 lupus drug

AstraZeneca (AZN) shares traded higher this morning despite the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) forcing a delay to the pharma giant鈥檚 lupus medication Saphnelo.

The regulator has requested more information and did not reject the filing outright, with the pharma giant assuring investors it has supplied the requested data. A new decision is now expected in the first half.

Intravenous Saphnelo is already available in the US, and the filing was based on a successful phase 3 trial, with safety data that matched the existing product. The self-injectable version has already been approved in the EU.