BT Group PLC in demand after revelation on chairman retirement

() leapt 7% to 143.6p before close after it was revealed that chairman Jan Du Plessis’s retirement was down to pressure from chief executive Philip Jansen.

Du Plessis had been at the FTSE 100 telecoms group for around four years and took over as chairman in November 2017 but with multiple issues still facing the business, his departure was a surprise to many in the City.

However, Sky News reporter that Jansen had issued the board with an ultimatum that he would resign unless a chairman was appointed who would accelerate the pace of change at BT.

3pm: boohoo dips after MPs pressure to link management bonuses to ESG goals

boohoo Group PLC () dipped 3% to 319.9p after being pressured by MPs to link bonuses for senior executives to meeting its pledges on workers’ rights and environmental sustainability.

The Environmental Audit Committee has written to the fast-fashion retailer seeking updates on commitments made in a December meeting.

boohoo chairman Mahmud Kamani, who agreed to consider implementing these measures, is also being asked to update on plans to ensure minimum wage compliance within the online retailer’s supply chain.

2.05pm: Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust and fellow US-focused investors suffer from Nasdaq weakness

Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust plc (LON:USA) slipped 8% to 288p in the afternoon as investors are concerned by weakness in the tech-heavy Nasdaq index.

() and Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust (LON:EWI) lost 6% and 4% to 2,625p and 328.5p respectively.

Low confidence in the tech sector is also acting as a drag on (), which shed 2% to 1,063.81p, considering its relatively heavy weighting towards that sector. Its top holdings include Tesla, Amazon and Alibaba.

1pm:  a touch higher after extending rent discount

PLC () added 1% to 998.05p in the early afternoon after announcing an additional three-week extension to its 50% rent discount for students.

It takes the total discount period to 10 weeks, up to the end of the government’s stay at home rule on March 29, which students not living in their accommodation can request.

The landlord said around 60% of checked-in students have now returned to its buildings and it has now collected 95% of rent due to date for the 2020/21 academic year.

11.30am: finnCap Group jumps after board members buy shares

finnCap Group PLC () jumped 7% to 32.69p after two board members bought shares in the company.

Chief executive Sam Smith purchased 65,450 shares at 30.5p each and now has an interest in 16mln shares, representing 9.29% of the current total voting rights of the investment bank.

Chairman Robert Lister now has a beneficial interest over 65,450 shares in the AIM-listed firm, representing 0.04% of the total issued share capital.

10.15am:  slips after raising £16mln via placing and subscription

Limited () slipped 12% to 36p after announcing it has raised £16mln via a placing and subscription.

Some 35mln shares were priced 35p a pop, which is a 15% discount to Thursday’s closing price.

The proceeds will mostly be used to develop the Empire Mine in Idaho, US, of which Phoenix owns 80%.

Elsewhere, () shed 6% to 8,872p after admitting it is facing increasing competition from Europe.

In January, trading in Amsterdam in euro-denominated shares outstripped the UK for the first time.

The group said that, post-Brexit, it is still lobbying for a coherent financial structure between Britain and the EU to be established to avoid fragmentation of systems designed to make “the financial markets efficient, stable and safe”.

9.15am: Contango early riser after acquiring Mali gold project near existing property

PLC () was an early riser on Friday, adding 5% to 7.75p after acquiring the Ntiela Gold Project in Mali.

The site is near the miner’s existing Garalo Gold Project, which recently got a 460% resource potential uplift to 1.8mln ounces.

“Our decision to increase our mineralised footprint in this area marks an…