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| Yesterday’s UK 100 Leaders | Price (p) | % Chg |
| Hiscox LTD | 1,119.0 | 5.0% |
| Convatec Group PLC | 259.0 | 4.9% |
| Lloyds Banking Group PLC | 71.8 | 4.6% |
| Entain PLC | 741.6 | 4.2% |
| Barclays PLC | 309.0 | 4.1% |
| Yesterday’s UK 100 Laggards | Price (p) | % Chg |
| Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC | 2,154.0 | -6.2% |
| Relx PLC | 3,805.0 | -2.6% |
| Persimmon PLC | 1,175.0 | -2.5% |
| Intertek Group PLC | 5,120.0 | -2.1% |
| BAE Systems PLC | 1,345.0 | -1.5% |
| Major World Indices | Price | % Chg | 1 YEAR |
| FTSE 100 INDEX | 8,731 | 0.7% | 13.7% |
| DOW JONES INDUS. AVG | 43,433 | -0.4% | 11.5% |
| DAX INDEX | 22,794 | 1.7% | 29.8% |
| NIKKEI 225 | 38,256 | 0.3% | -2.5% |
| S&P/ASX 200 INDEX | 8,268 | 0.3% | 7.9% |
| Commodities | Units | Price | % Chg |
| WTI Crude Oil (Nymex) | USD/bbl. | 68.70 | 0.12% |
| Brent Crude (ICE) | USD/bbl. | 72.55 | 0.03% |
| Gold Spot | USD/t oz. | 2,891 | -0.9% |
| Copper (Comex) | USd/lb. | 457 | -0.3% |
Click graph to enlarge
The UK 100 called to open -21 points at 8,710. The UK 100 looks set to open lower this morning, as investors digest the raft of earnings delivered this morning.
Stateside yesterday saw the S&P eked out a gain on Wednesday, snapping a four-day run of losses. The broad market index advanced 0.01% to close at 5,956.06. The Dow Jones dropped 188.04 points, or 0.43%, to end at 43,433.12. The 30-stock average was earlier up as much as 245.34 points, or about 0.6%. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.26% and ended at 19,075.26.
Aviva beat annual profit expectations on double-digit growth in its general insurance premiums in 2024, and said its planned 3.7-billion-pound acquisition of smaller rival Direct Line opens new tab was on track. The company reported operating profit of 1.77 billion pounds ($2.24 billion) for the year ended December 31, 2024, above analysts' average consensus of 1.71 billion pounds in an LSEG poll.
Haleon reported annual profit in line with market expectations on Thursday, as the Sensodyne toothpaste and Advil painkiller maker was helped by sustained demand for its multi-vitamin and oral health products. Strong demand for multi-vitamins and oral hygiene products due to a growing consumer focus on wellness are cushioning the impact of a stronger pound and a post-pandemic slowdown in cold and pain medicines' demand on the British consumer healthcare firm. The company, spun off from drugmaker GSK in 2022, reported revenue of 11.23 billion pounds ($14.21 billion) for the 12 months ended December 31, 2024, in line with analysts' estimate of 11.22 billion pounds in a company-compiled consensus. Adjusted operating profit stood at £2.50 billion, also matching analysts' expectation. Haleon also said that it had allocated 500 million pounds for share buybacks in the current year, in which it also expects organic revenue to grow between 4% and 6%.
London Stock Exchange Group has reported strong financial results for 2024, exceeding market expectations and reinforcing its position as a lead player in global financial data and analytics. The firm’s total income, excluding recoveries, grew by 7.7% in 2024, with broad growth across divisions. Income at the firm’s flagship data business, where it makes most of its cash, jumped 4.5%. Meanwhile, income at the FTSE Russell arm was up 10.9 per cent, risk intelligence was up 11.3%, and capital markets surged by 17.8%.
Rolls-Royce forecast more growth and lifted its mid-term targets after it beat guidance for 2024, posting a 55% rise in annual profit as widebody jets flew more and its cost-saving plan delivered. The group also announced a dividend of 6 pence per share for 2024, having flagged last August that it would reinstate the payout after a five year break sparked by the pandemic, and said it would start a 1 billion pound ($1.27 billion) share buyback. The confident outlook showed the progress made by Rolls over the last two years after chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic joined the company promising to turn it around. Rolls, Airbus's exclusive engine partner on its widebody planes and a supplier to Boeing's 787, said on Thursday it would meet its previous mid-term targets this year, two years earlier than planned, and as such was now guiding to mid-term underlying operating profit of 3.6 billion pounds to 3.9 billion pounds. For 2024, it reported underlying operating profit of £2.46 billion, beating a consensus forecast of £2.287 billion.
St James Place this morning announced Post-tax underlying cash result of £447.2 million (2023: £392.4 million), up 14% year-on-year. They said they had increased client and adviser numbers, supporting growth in funds under management to a record £190.2 billion.
Taylor Wimpey this morning said completions for FY24 were broadly flat although there was a notable decline in average selling prices. The year end net cash position was however ahead of guidance owing to the timing of land sales and shareholders are going to see full year dividends trimmed fractionally to keep pace with the company’s cash returns policy. Management notes a strong start to the spring selling season and completion numbers for FY25 are forecast as being slightly higher.
WPP reported a worse-than-expected 1.0% decline in full-year organic revenue after a disappointing final quarter, when it said it was hit by weaker client discretionary spend in its home market, North America and China. Headline operating profit rose 2.0% on a like-for-like basis to 1.71 billion pounds ($2.17 billion), it said on Thursday, meeting market expectations. The results confirmed the company, which lost its crown as the most biggest ad group to French rival Publicis (PUBP.PA), opens new tab in 2024, has fallen behind some of its peers, which include U.S. rivals Omnicom (OMC.N), opens new tab and Interpublic (IPG.N), opens new tab, which have agreed a $13.25 billion all-share merger.
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UK
Aviva (AV.)
Derwent London (DLN)
Drax Group (DRX)
Genus (GNS)
Greencoat UK Wind* (UKW)
Howden Joinary Group (HWDN)
Jupiter Fund Management (JUP)
London Stock Exchange Group (LSE)
Man Group (EMG)
Metro Bank Holdings (MTRO)
Ocado Group (OCDO)
PPHE Hotel Group (PPH)
Rolls-Royce Group (RR.)
Serco Group (SRP)
Shaftsbury Capital (SHC)
St James Place (STJ)
Taylor Wimpey (TW.)
WPP Group (WPP)
Haleon (HLN)
US
Viatris (VTRS) PMO
HP (HPQ) AMC
UK
IMI (IMI)
International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG)
Pearson (PSON)
US
None
EU Business Climate
EU Consumer Confidence
EU Economic Sentiment Indicator
EU ECB Monetary Policy Meeting Accounts
US Core Personal Consumption Expenditures
US Durable Goods Orders
US Gross Domestic Product Annualized
US Initial Jobless Claims
US Personal Consumption Expenditures Prices
US Pending Home Sales
Fed's Hammack speech
Fed's Harker speech
Japanese Tokyo Consumer Price Index
UK 100 companies going ex-dividend on 27th February 2025:
Barclays
Diageo
Unilever
Alliance Witan
UK 250 companies going ex-dividend on 27th February 2025:
Plus500
Ashmore Group
BlackRock Throgmorton Trust
Diversified Energy Company
PayPoint
Hays
Scottish American Investment Company
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