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| Yesterday’s UK 100 Leaders | Price (p) | % Chg |
| Astrazeneca PLC | 11,444.0 | 3.2% |
| Spirax Group PLC | 7,050.0 | 3.0% |
| GSK PLC | 1,435.0 | 2.2% |
| Convatec Group PLC | 231.6 | 2.0% |
| Berkeley Group Holdings (The) PLC | 3,842.0 | 2.0% |
| Yesterday’s UK 100 Laggards | Price (p) | % Chg |
| Beazley PLC | 800.0 | -12.3% |
| Entain PLC | 895.0 | -2.5% |
| London Stock Exchange Group PLC | 9,146.0 | -2.5% |
| St. James’s Place PLC | 1,284.0 | -2.3% |
| British American Tobacco PLC | 4,200.0 | -2.1% |
| Major World Indices | Price | % Chg | 1 Year |
| UK 100 INDEX | 9,165 | 0.2% | 10.7% |
| DOW JONES INDUS. AVG | 44,922 | 1.0% | 12.3% |
| DAX INDEX | 24,186 | 0.7% | 35.2% |
| NIKKEI 225 | 42,652 | -1.4% | 17.2% |
| S&P/ASX 200 INDEX | 8,874 | 0.5% | 13.0% |
| Copper (Comex) | Units | Price | % Chg |
| WTI Crude Oil (Nymex) | USD/bbl. | 63.04 | 0.62% |
| Brent Crude (ICE) | USD/bbl. | 66.01 | 0.58% |
| Gold Spot | USD/t oz. | 3,359 | 0.1% |
| Copper (Comex) | USd/lb. | 455 | -0.1% |
Click graph to enlarge
The UK 100 called to open -21 points this morning at 9,146. The UK 100 is called to open lower this morning, albeit on a day that’s the blue-chip index is giving up just over 30 points in dividends. Data out this morning showed the UK economy grew by more than expected in the second quarter, up 0.3% compared with City forecasts for a 0.1% rise. The performance, which followed growth of 0.7% in the first quarter, was driven by a forecast-beating rise of 0.4% in June. It also reflected an upward revision to April’s output estimate from 0.3% lower to a decline of 0.1%.
Asia markets fell back this morning after a recent strong run, with the Nikkei 225 down by more than 1%. The pound is at $1.3573 ahead of today’s GDP figures.
Stateside yesterday saw stocks rise, adding to their recent momentum as expectations for lower U.S. Federal Reserve rates continue driving the major indexes to all-time highs. The Dow Jones gained 463.66 points, or 1.04%, at 44,922.27. The S&P added 0.32% to finish at 6,466.58, while the Nasdaq settled up 0.14% at 21,713.14. Both indexes closed at record highs for the second straight day. AMD popped 5.4% to lead gains in tech. Apple also advanced 1.6%. Shares of Paramount Skydance soared 36.7%.
Admiral Group reported a 67% jump in half-year pretax profit on Thursday, underpinned by competitive pricing and strong performance in its core UK motor insurance arm. The company, which sold its U.S. motor insurance business in April, logged 516.1 million pounds ($700.81 million) of group pretax profit for the six-month period ended June 30, above the 309.8 million pounds reported last year.
Antofagasta posted a nearly 60% increase in half-year core earnings on Thursday, on higher production and sales of its copper. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the first six months of the year rose to $2.2 billion from $1.39 billion last year, in line with analysts’ consensus expectations.
Aviva this morning announced half-year operating profit rose by 22% to £1.1 billion. The results do not include Direct Line after the acquisition of the Churchill and Green Flag insurer completed on 1 July. Aviva intends to publish more details on the integration and its targets for the business in November. The company reiterated its group targets for 2026, which include an ambition to deliver an operating profit of £2 billion. Shareholders are set to receive an interim dividend of 13.1p a share, up 10% on a year earlier.
Centrica today announced the acquisition of the Isle of Grain liquified natural gas terminal in a deal valued at about £1.5 billion. The site, which is currently owned by National Grid, provides import and export facilities, regasification and rapid response gas storage capacity to balance the energy system. The acquisition, which has been made in conjunction with Bridgepoint business Energy Capital Partners, involves a Centrica equity investment of £200 million.
UK
Antofagasta (ANTO)
Savills (SVS)
ITM Power (ITM)
Rank Group (RNK)
Aviva (AV.)
Admiral Group (ADM)
US
Deere & Co (DE) PMO
JD.com (JD) PMO
Applied Materials (AMAT) AMC
UK
None
US
None
UK Gross Domestic Product
UK Industrial Production
UK Manufacturing Production
EU Employment Change
EU Gross Domestic Product
EU Industrial Production
US Initial Jobless Claims
US Producer Price Index
Fed’s Barkin speech
UK 100 companies going ex-dividend on 14th August 2025:
Rio Tinto
BP
Hikma Pharmaceuticals
GSK
Shell
Fresnillo
Unilever
Rentokil Initial
HSBC Holdings
Hiscox
Pearson
Haleon
IMI
London Stock Exchange Group
Melrose Industries
Pershing Square Holdings
UK 250 companies going ex-dividend on 14th August 2025:
Harbour Energy
Investec
Aberdeen Group
Renewables Infrastructure Group
Greencoat UK Wind
Vesuvius
4imprint Group
Domino’s Pizza Group
International Public Partnership
Assura
Keller Group
Lancashire Holdings
Rotork
TBC Bank Group
ICG Enterprise Trust
Elementis
Chemring Group
Just Group
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