Advertisement
Canada markets closed
  • S&P/TSX

    22,167.03
    +59.95 (+0.27%)
     
  • S&P 500

    5,254.35
    +5.86 (+0.11%)
     
  • DOW

    39,807.37
    +47.29 (+0.12%)
     
  • CAD/USD

    0.7386
    -0.0000 (-0.00%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    83.11
    -0.06 (-0.07%)
     
  • Bitcoin CAD

    95,941.03
    +1,905.95 (+2.03%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,254.80
    +16.40 (+0.73%)
     
  • RUSSELL 2000

    2,124.55
    +10.20 (+0.48%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.2060
    +0.0100 (+0.24%)
     
  • NASDAQ futures

    18,465.00
    -38.75 (-0.21%)
     
  • VOLATILITY

    13.01
    +0.23 (+1.80%)
     
  • FTSE

    7,952.62
    +20.64 (+0.26%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    40,303.58
    +135.51 (+0.34%)
     
  • CAD/EUR

    0.6849
    +0.0006 (+0.09%)
     

London open: Stocks post mild gains ahead of key inflation data

LONDON (ShareCast) - London's benchmark FTSE 100 index kicked off Tuesday's session by posting mild gains following a late recovery in Asian markets overnight and better-than-expected Eurozone data. At 09:06 GMT, the UK index of 100 leading blue-chip stocks rose 0.3% or 20 points to trade at 7046.

China's worse-than-expected manufacturing data pressured Asian markets, particularly stocks in mainland China however share markets in the region edged off session lows as the data fuelled hopes that China's central bank will support growth through injecting more stimulus measures.

In Europe, better-than-expected data offers upside support to UK stocks. The Eurozone flash purchasing managers' index (PMI) composite, which includes manufacturing and services activity, rose to 54.1 in March from 53.3 in February, a 46-month high.

Price-action however is broadly range-bound as traders cite apprehension as lawmakers in the EU continue to squabble over the terms of a fresh funding deal for Greece but have agreed that Greece present reforms to the Eurogroup by next Monday.

ADVERTISEMENT

Across other major asset classes, oil prices have recovered from overnight lows with Brent futures up 0.4% while gold prices added 0.2%. Cable was little change with the pound switching hands at 1.49551 with the US dollar and the 10-year UK Gilt inched up by 22 basis points to trade at 121.52.

Attention now turns to the inflation and producer price data out of the UK. With UK chancellor George Osborne stating in last week's Budget that 2015 inflation forecasts have been revised down, it would be surprising if the number didn't decline, said Connor Campbell, market analyst at Spreadex.

"However, given that inflation continues to leave analysts on the fence about whether these current lows are healthy for the country, it will be interesting to see which way the markets turn," added Campbell.

Kingfisher (LSE: KGF.L - news) falls on derailed French bid while Wolseley (LSE: WOS.L - news) gets hit by impairment charge Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) in UK-listed home improvement retailer Kingfisher fell 1.2% after its bid for French rival Mr Bricolage ran into trouble.

Shares in construction and building material company Wolseley dropped 2.8% after first-half profits plunged due to a hefty impairment charge, though the group did raise its dividend after strong growth in the US.

Real estate investment trust Land Securities (LSE: LAND.L - news) sold a 95% stake in London's Times Square building to private equity group Blackstone (NYSE: BX - news) for £268.4m. Land Securities stock added 0.6%.

Despite paying out a special dividend, shares in UK video game retailer Game Digital (LSE: GMD.L - news) sank 7% on the FTSE 250 index after its chief financial officer called it quits.

Market Movers techMARK 3,247.95 +0.09% FTSE 100 7,047.94 +0.15% FTSE 250 17,604.94 +0.31% FTSE 100 - Risers Sage Group (LSE: SGE.L - news) (SGE) 486.20p +1.59% Persimmon (PSN) 1,701.00p +1.55% International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 600.00p +1.35% Compass Group (Other OTC: CMPGF - news) (CPG) 1,209.00p +1.34% Reed Elsevier (LSE: REL.L - news) (REL) 1,185.00p +1.28% CRH (CRH (NYSE: CRH - news) ) 1,874.00p +1.19% Experian (EXPN) 1,161.00p +1.13% Next (EUREX: NXTI.EX - news) (NXT) 7,300.00p +1.11% Pearson (PSON) 1,507.00p +1.07% Burberry Group (Other OTC: BBRYF - news) (BRBY) 1,847.00p +1.04% FTSE 100 - Fallers Wolseley (EUREX: WLYH.EX - news) (WOS) 4,099.00p -2.64% Centrica (CNA) 253.80p -1.93% Associated British Foods (LSE: ABF.L - news) (ABF) 2,961.00p -1.66% Meggitt (MGGT) 555.50p -1.51% Standard Chartered (HKSE: 2888.HK - news) (STAN) 1,125.00p -1.40% Kingfisher (KGF) 368.00p -1.26% Shire Plc (Xetra: S7E.DE - news) (SHP) 5,500.00p -1.17% Weir Group (WEIR) 1,780.00p -1.17% BG Group (LSE: BG.L - news) (BG.) 884.00p -0.74% Babcock International Group (BAB (Other OTC: BABB - news) ) 987.00p -0.55% FTSE 250 - Risers Acacia Mining (Other OTC: ABGLF - news) (ACA) 279.40p +4.25% Betfair Group (LSE: BET.L - news) (BET) 2,249.00p +3.45% Thomas Cook Group (TCG) 146.90p +3.31% UDG Healthcare Public Limited Company (UDG) 484.70p +2.52% Playtech (PTEC) 809.50p +2.27% Renishaw (RSW) 2,576.00p +2.26% Henderson Group (LSE: HGG.L - news) (HGG) 294.10p +2.22% Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L - news) (CINE) 492.60p +2.18% Brewin Dolphin Holdings (BRW) 324.80p +2.14% International Personal Finance (LSE: IPF.L - news) (IPF) 478.50p +2.13% FTSE 250 - Fallers Spire Healthcare Group (SPI) 373.00p -4.36% Cairn Energy (LSE: CNE.L - news) (CNE) 158.50p -2.52% Barr (A.G.) (BAG) 660.00p -2.51% Card Factory (LSE: CARD.L - news) (CARD) 297.70p -2.39% Soco International (LSE: SIA.L - news) (SIA (SES: E1:C6L.SI - news) ) 170.40p -2.24% Cobham (COB) 311.70p -2.13% Vedanta Resources (Other OTC: VDNRF - news) (VED) 559.50p -2.10% Bank of Georgia Holdings (BGEO) 1,718.00p -1.66% Serco Group (Other OTC: SECCF - news) (SRP) 184.00p -1.60% AO World (Other OTC: AOWDF - news) (AO.) 182.30p -1.46% FTSE TechMARK - Risers Gresham Computing (LSE: GHT.L - news) (GHT) 88.00p +3.83% Oxford Instruments (LSE: OXIG.L - news) (OXIG) 886.50p +0.97% KCOM Group (LSE: KCOM.L - news) (KCOM) 96.00p +0.79% Ricardo (RCDO) 755.00p +0.67% Vectura Group (LSE: VEC.L - news) (VEC) 150.50p +0.33% Anite (AIE) 87.25p +0.29% Spirent Communications (Other OTC: SPMYY - news) (SPT (Taiwan OTC: 8431.TWO - news) ) 88.75p +0.28% Kofax Limited (NasdaqGS: KFX - news) (DI (KSE: 003160.KS - news) ) (KFX) 501.00p +0.20% FTSE TechMARK - Fallers NCC Group (LSE: NCC.L - news) (NCC (LSE: 0OFP.L - news) ) 204.00p -7.27% Skyepharma (SKP) 315.00p -2.78% Oxford Biomedica (LSE: OXB.L - news) (OXB) 12.25p -2.00% RM (RM (LSE: RM.L - news) .) 144.00p -0.69% E2V Technologies (LSE: E2V.L - news) (E2V) 196.00p -0.38% Optos (OPTS) 344.50p -0.29% IShares Euro Gov Bond 7-10YR UCITS ETF (IEGM) € 207.87 -0.10% Dialight (DIA) 780.00p -0.06% Consort Medical (Other OTC: CSRMY - news) (CSRT) 865.00p -0.06%