London close: Tesco and HSBC focus investors' attention
Aerospace and Defence
10,383.65
17:10 19/04/24
AstraZeneca
10,946.00p
17:08 19/04/24
BAE Systems
1,296.00p
17:08 19/04/24
Banks
3,895.51
17:09 19/04/24
Barclays
185.84p
16:40 19/04/24
CSR
899.50p
16:34 12/08/15
Food & Drug Retailers
3,705.02
17:10 19/04/24
FTSE 100
7,895.85
16:59 19/04/24
FTSE 250
19,391.30
17:09 19/04/24
FTSE 350
4,341.08
17:09 19/04/24
FTSE All-Share
4,296.41
17:08 19/04/24
HSBC Holdings
646.20p
16:44 19/04/24
ITV
69.85p
16:40 19/04/24
Lloyds Banking Group
50.92p
16:34 19/04/24
Media
11,718.72
17:10 19/04/24
NATWEST GROUP
276.70p
16:34 19/04/24
Perform Group
243.75p
05:01 09/12/14
Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology
21,247.91
17:09 19/04/24
Technology Hardware & Equipment
1,920.18
16:30 11/04/24
Tesco
281.40p
16:59 19/04/24
- Chinese, Eurozone and UK manufacturing PMIs fall
- Markets looking ahead to BoE, ECB, US jobs data
- Perform jumps on Access Industries offer
techMARK 2,858.54 +0.26%
FTSE 100 6,825.31 +0.08%
FTSE 250 15,957.13 +0.45%
Figures showing a manufacturing slowdown in the Eurozone, UK and China capped gains in stocks on Monday, as did the ongoing geopolitical tensions in Ukraine.
Investors also chose to adopt a cautious approach in the absence of a trading session in the States, with Wall Street closed for a public holiday. Meanwhile, risk appetite was also limited ahead of a busy week for financial markets worldwide.
London's FTSE 100 finished the session 0.08% higher at 6,825.31.
A flurry of macroeconomic indicators are due out across the globe over the next few days, though markets will be mostly focusing on policy decisions from the Bank of England and European Central Bank on Thursday, followed by the all-important US non-farm payrolls report on Friday.
The UK manufacturing PMI unexpectedly declined from 54.8 to 52.5 in August, while the second estimate of the Eurozone manufacturing PMI was revised lower to a 13-month low of 50.7 (initial estimate: 50.8) from 51.8 in July.
"Taken at face value, the [UK] August PMI reading looks surprisingly weak [...] However, a slowdown in activity is widely expected as the economy transitions towards a more sustainable growth composition as well as being subject to growing geopolitical risks and currency appreciation," economists at Barclays Research wrote to clients on Monday.
Geopolitical tensions were cited as a factor behind the weakness seen in both the British and European surveys.
In other news, tensions in Eastern Europe were ignited over the weekend by calls from Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on "statehood" for south-east Ukraine. The comments come as Western leaders prepare to impose further sanctions on Moscow following further fighting near the border of Ukraine.
In remarks to Italian newspaper La Reppublica Russian President Vladimir Putin was reported to have said that if he wanted to [the Russian capital of] Kiev could be taken in two weeks.
Perform soars on Access Industries offer
Sports media firm Perform saw shares rocket after Access Industries Group offered to buy all the shares it doesn't already own for 260p each or ÂŁ410m, valuing the entire company at ÂŁ702m. The investment group already holds a 42.5% stake in Perform.
M&A speculation was also driving the share price of broadcaster ITV higher on reports that Liberty Global could make a full bid. That follows recent takeover speculation surrounding other UK outfits such as Astrazeneca or CSR.
Barclays fell after saying that it would make a ÂŁ500m loss from selling part of its Spanish business to Caixabank as part of its non-core asset disposal programme.
In a blog post fund manager Neil Woodford said he had sold his fund's stake in HSBC due to his worries over 'fine inflation.' Banking peers Lloyds and RBS were also in the red.
Tesco came under further selling pressure following Friday's profit warning. The company was the centre of much negative newsflow over the weekend, including an article in the Financial Times' Lex column which argued that the company's shares are not yet a bargain despite the recent sell-off. Supermarket rivals Wm Morrison and J Sainsbury also drifted lower. On his first day on the job the Tesco's new chief said he would not be pressured into making any "hasty decisions."
Defence group BAE Systems was a high riser after Bank of America upgraded its rating on the stock to 'buy'. The American broker believes that defence spending in the US, Sweden and Saudi Arabia might see an increase as a result of the recent increase in geopolitical tensions.
Housebuilder Berkeley Group inched lower after saying that it has seen a normalisation of transaction levels over recent months.
FTSE 100 - Risers
ITV (ITV) 218.70p +3.55%
Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 441.00p +2.58%
BAE Systems (BA.) 456.00p +2.45%
Kingfisher (KGF) 308.60p +1.61%
BG Group (BG.) 1,217.00p +1.29%
Meggitt (MGGT) 477.60p +1.27%
Next (NXT) 7,185.00p +1.27%
Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB.) 5,315.00p +1.24%
Bunzl (BNZL) 1,663.00p +1.03%
British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSY) 882.00p +0.97%
FTSE 100 - Fallers
Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets (MRW) 173.50p -2.25%
Mondi (MNDI) 1,012.00p -2.03%
Tesco (TSCO) 225.55p -1.91%
Shire Plc (SHP) 4,864.00p -1.20%
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 1,460.00p -0.98%
TUI Travel (TT.) 368.90p -0.97%
Aviva (AV.) 516.00p -0.96%
CRH (CRH) 1,385.00p -0.86%
Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI) (CCH) 1,404.00p -0.71%
HSBC Holdings (HSBA) 647.50p -0.69%
FTSE 250 - Risers
Perform Group (PER) 257.50p +26.35%
Dixons Carphone (DC.) 368.40p +6.91%
African Barrick Gold (ABG) 246.80p +5.65%
Kazakhmys (KAZ) 306.80p +3.33%
BTG (BTG) 659.50p +2.97%
Unite Group (UTG) 450.00p +2.74%
Pets at Home Group (PETS) 184.80p +2.67%
Daejan Holdings (DJAN) 4,924.00p +2.56%
Redrow (RDW) 281.00p +2.52%
De La Rue (DLAR) 728.50p +2.46%
FTSE 250 - Fallers
Exova Group (EXO) 180.30p -6.58%
Supergroup (SGP) 1,054.00p -3.39%
Afren (AFR) 94.60p -2.97%
Synthomer (SYNT) 230.00p -1.92%
Infinis Energy (INFI) 212.00p -1.76%
Fidessa Group (FDSA) 2,255.00p -1.44%
Keller Group (KLR) 907.00p -1.36%
Foxtons Group (FOXT) 251.10p -1.26%
Brown (N.) Group (BWNG) 437.50p -1.24%
Cineworld Group (CINE) 319.90p -1.23%
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