Market overview: FTSE 100 finishes up 0.5%
1630: Close UK stocks finished at levels not seen in over four months, lifted by improving economic data and continued optimism surrounding a massive bond-buying plan by the ECB. The FTSE 100 settled up 0.5% at 6,832.83 by the end of the session despite heavy falls in the mining sector. This was the index's first close above the 6,800 mark since 19 September 2014. However, nervousness ahead of Sunday's general election in Greece was limiting gains. Analysts at Barclays said that while the latest polls suggest a victory for the anti-austerity Syriza party, "we nonetheless do not rule out a more adverse scenario in which a second round of general elections are needed, prolonging political uncertainty, affecting the economy".
Antofagasta
2,227.00p
17:09 25/04/24
BT Group
104.70p
16:44 25/04/24
Fixed Line Telecommunications
1,814.05
17:09 25/04/24
Fresnillo
579.00p
17:15 25/04/24
FTSE 100
8,078.86
17:14 25/04/24
FTSE 350
4,434.34
17:09 25/04/24
FTSE All-Share
4,387.94
16:49 25/04/24
Glencore
468.60p
16:40 25/04/24
Mining
10,403.74
17:09 25/04/24
Mobile Telecommunications
1,814.05
16:59 24/01/22
Randgold Resources Ltd.
6,546.00p
17:00 28/12/18
Vodafone Group
69.00p
16:40 25/04/24
1500: US data has come in mixed: existing-home sales rose 2.4% in December after a 6.1% drop the month before (consensus: +3%), while the Leading Indicators index improved by 0.5% in December after 0.6% growth (consensus: +0.4%).
1445: The preliminary reading of the Markit US manufacturing PMI unexpectedly fell from 53.9 to 53.7 in January, missing the 54 consensus forecast.
1151: Vodafone is on the rise after UBS said at the decline in organic revenues is estimated to have eased in Q3, ahead of the results on 5 February. The bank forecasts a return to growth in the first quarter of next year, saying that the stock “remains one of our preferred picks in the sector”.
1026: CRH is extending gains made yesterday after confirming speculation that it could buy some of Lafarge and Holmium’s assets ahead of their proposed merger. Mike van Dulken from Accendo Markets said the purchase “could bolster CRH’s market presence in the region easily thanks to overlapping business allowing simple integration of new businesses with existing operations”.
0930: UK retail sales volumes excluding automobiles grew by 0.2% month-on-month in December following a jump of 1.7% in the month before (consensus: -0.7%).
0900: Markit's Eurozone manufacturing sector purchasing managers' index improved in January to a reading of 51 from 50.6 in the month before (consensus: 51).
0855: Analysts at Bank of America have cut their forecast for the euro/dollar this year to 1.1 from 1.2 beforehand and for 2016 from 1.15 to 1.05.
0840: Telecom operators drove the FTSE 100 high early on Friday, with BT and Vodafone both among the biggest risers, while mining stocks were feeling the pinch. Antofagasta, Randgold Glencore and Fresnillo were the biggest fallers in the first hour of trading, as a stronger dollar looked to impact the commodities market. The FTSE 100 was 0.50% up to 6,830.90 points at 08:40.