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| Yesterday’s UK 100 Leaders | Price (p) | % Chg |
| BT Group PLC | 220.2 | 10.4% |
| Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC | 5,542.0 | 10.0% |
| Howden Joinery Group PLC | 910.0 | 8.9% |
| Airtel Africa PLC | 196.4 | 7.3% |
| Ashtead Group PLC | 5,032.0 | 3.6% |
| Yesterday’s UK 100 Laggards | Price (p) | % Chg |
| SSE PLC | 1,851.5 | -3.2% |
| Beazley PLC | 889.5 | -2.3% |
| Fresnillo PLC | 1,433.0 | -2.1% |
| 3I Group PLC | 4,264.0 | -1.8% |
| BP PLC | 397.8 | -1.7% |
| Major World Indices | Price | % Chg | 1 Year |
| UK 100 INDEX | 9,138 | 0.9% | 11.6% |
| DOW JONES INDUS. AVG | 44,694 | -0.7% | 11.9% |
| DAX INDEX | 24,296 | 0.2% | 32.8% |
| NIKKEI 225 | 41,444 | -0.9% | 9.5% |
| S&P/ASX 200 INDEX | 8,667 | -0.5% | 10.3% |
| Commodities | Units | Price | % Chg |
| WTI Crude Oil (Nymex) | USD/bbl. | 66.58 | 0.83% |
| Brent Crude (ICE) | USD/bbl. | 69.74 | 0.81% |
| Gold Spot | USD/t oz. | 3,356 | -0.4% |
| Copper (Comex) | USd/lb. | 582 | 0.3% |
Click graph to enlarge
The UK 100 called to open +9 points this morning at 9,147. The UK 100 looks set to open modestly higher this morning, as the UK’s blue-chip index looks to notch up a seventh consecutive positive day, a run which has seen the UK 100 breaking the 9,000 point barrier for the first time and strike another all-time high closing level yesterday of 9,139.
Data out this morning showed retail sales volumes had returned to growth in June after recording a 2.8% slump the previous month. The ONS today reported growth of 0.9%, compared with City forecasts for a figure of 1.2%. Food store sales rose by 0.7% following a 5.4% fall in May, with retailers reporting that the warm weather had a positive effect.
The S&P and the Nasdaq eked out record closes on Thursday after Alphabet’s latest quarterly results came in better than expected. The broad market index added 0.07% to end at 6,363.35, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.18% to close at 21,057.96. Both indexes sharply curtailed their gains as the session ended. The Dow Jones fell 316.38 points, or 0.70%, to settle at 44,693.91. The 30-stock Dow was bogged down by shares of IBM slipping more than 7% after its second-quarter software revenue missed expectations. Both the S&P and the Nasdaq had scored new intraday all-time highs earlier in the session, bolstered by a 1% move higher in Alphabet. shares after the Google parent posted a second-quarter earnings and revenue beat.
NatWest today upgraded its income and returns guidance for 2025 after reporting a “strong performance” in the first half of the year. Pre-tax profits rose 20% to £2.67 billion, including a broadly flat quarter-on-quarter figure of £1.3 billion for the three months to 30 June. An interim dividend of 9.5p a share is 58% higher than a year ago, while it intends to commence a share buyback programme of £750 million in the second half. A net impairment charge of £193 million, or 19 basis points of gross customer loans, in the second quarter included an £81 million charge on the acquisition of balances from Sainsbury’s Bank. New guidance for 2025 includes a loan impairment rate below 20 basis points.
UK
Rightmove (RMV)
NatWest Group (NWG)
US
Aon (AON) PMO
UK
None
US
None
UK GfK Consumer Confidence
UK Retail Sales
German IFO – Business Climate
German IFO – Current Assessment
German IFO – Expectations
US Durable Goods Orders
UK 100 companies going ex-dividend on 31st July 2025:
Lloyds Banking Group
UK 250 companies going ex-dividend on 31st July 2025:
HICL Infastructure
MONY Group
Brunner Investment Trust
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