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| Yesterday’s UK 100 Leaders | Price (p) | % Chg |
| GSK PLC | 1,485.0 | 7.6% |
| Fresnillo PLC | 755.0 | 5.8% |
| Marks And Spencer Group PLC | 357.6 | 3.7% |
| Endeavour Mining PLC | 1,715.0 | 3.0% |
| Tesco PLC | 387.6 | 2.7% |
| Yesterday’s UK 100 Laggards | Price (p) | % Chg |
| Diageo PLC | 2,235.0 | -4.0% |
| DCC PLC | 5,300.0 | -3.6% |
| Croda International PLC | 3,110.0 | -3.2% |
| Spirax Group PLC | 7,765.0 | -2.2% |
| Prudential PLC | 655.0 | -2.0% |
| Major World Indices | Price | % Chg | 1 YEAR |
| UK 100 INDEX | 8,623 | 0.6% | 12.3% |
| DOW JONES INDUS. AVG | 44,873 | 0.7% | 16.5% |
| DAX INDEX | 21,586 | 0.4% | 26.7% |
| NIKKEI 225 | 39,067 | 0.6% | 8.0% |
| S&P/ASX 200 INDEX | 8,521 | 1.2% | 12.4% |
| Commodities | Units | Price | % Chg |
| WTI Crude Oil (Nymex) | USD/bbl. | 71.31 | 0.39% |
| Brent Crude (ICE) | USD/bbl. | 74.83 | 0.29% |
| Gold Spot | USD/t oz. | 2,860 | -0.2% |
| Copper (Comex) | USd/lb. | 450 | 1.2% |
Click graph to enlarge
The UK 100 called to open +69 points at 8692. The UK 100 looks set to rally this morning, a continuation of yesterday’s positive momentum which saw the UK’s blue chip index once again break through the 8600 level, just 40 points short of the all time high closing level on the index.
In focus today will be the Bank of England Interest rate decision, where they are expected to reduce interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.5%.
Stocks rallied on Wednesday, pushing the major averages higher for the second day in a row, as investors looked past the trade turmoil that weighed on the market earlier in the week.
The gains came even as notable technology stocks Alphabet and AMD posted steep losses following earnings. The blue-chip Dow Jones climbed 317.24 points, or 0.71%, to 44,873.28. The index's gains were led by a sharp advance in Nvidia. The S&P rose 0.39%, ending at 6,061.48. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq added 0.19%, closing at 19,692.33.
Asian equities climbed to their highest level in seven weeks after stocks and bonds rose on Wall Street in a week marred by tariffs, lackluster tech earnings and uneven US economic data. Chinese shares gained while the yen strengthened.
Anglo American reported that Q4 – Copper production was up 9% QoQ. Forward guidance unchanged in copper with growth in 2026 driven by higher grades in Chilie. De Beers continues to struggle – production guidance reduced in 2025 and 2026.
AstraZeneca announced this morning that its revenue in the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2024 rose by 24% on an annual basis to $14.9 billion, exceeding the analysts' expectations. For the full 2024, total revenue jumped by 21% to $54.1 billion. They also said on they have received a notice in China over unpaid taxes related to the import of two cancer therapies, as the drugmaker continues to gauge the impact of probes into certain executives and activities in the key market. A fine of between one and five times the unpaid tax amount of $0.9 million may be levied if the company is found liable.
Babcock reported that strong trading had continued in Q3. Now expect both rev and op profit to exceed top end of market expectations. Therefore group upgrade FY25 revenue guidance to around £4.9bn dude to double-digit growth in Nuclear and strong growth in Marine
Watches of Switzerland Group reported that trading over the holiday period in both the UK and US was robust, aligning with expectations and supporting their FY25 guidance. Strong demand for luxury brands, particularly products on registration lists, continues to outpace supply, aiding market share gains in both regions. The integration of recent acquisitions and showroom expansions, including new Rolex boutiques, are progressing well, enhancing the company’s strategic positioning. The Group’s financial stability is reinforced by refinancing efforts, providing additional liquidity and flexibility. Overall, the Group is confident in achieving its FY25 targets.
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UK
Anglo American (AAL)
AstraZeneca (AZN)
Compass Group (CPG)
Watches of Switzerland Group (WOSG)
US
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) PMO
Eli Lilly and Co (LLY) PMO
Philip Morris International (PM) PMO
Roblox (RBLX) PMO
Amazon.com (AMZN) AMC
Cloudflare (NET) AMC
Illumina (ILMN) AMC
Pinterest (PINS) AMC
Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO) AMC
UK
Ashmore Group (ASHM)
US
None
German Factory Orders
EU Retail Sales
BoE Interest Rate Decision
BoE Minutes
BoE Monetary Policy Report
BoE MPC Vote
BoE's Governor Bailey speech
US Initial Jobless Claims
UK 100 companies going ex-dividend on 6th February 2025:
None
UK 250 companies going ex-dividend on 6th February 2025:
Paragon Banking Group
Bluefield Solar Income Fund
Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust
GCP Infrastructure Investments
Merchants Trust
Polar Capital Global Financials Trust
Henderson Smaller Cos Inv Tst
Impax Environmental Markets
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