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| Yesterday’s UK 100 Leaders | Price (p) | % Chg |
| Admiral Group PLC | 3,592.0 | 6.7% |
| Centrica PLC | 168.1 | 3.7% |
| Aviva PLC | 675.8 | 2.6% |
| BAE Systems PLC | 1,775.0 | 2.5% |
| Babcock International Group PLC | 988.0 | 2.2% |
| Yesterday’s UK 100 Laggards | Price (p) | % Chg |
| Rio Tinto PLC | 4,481.0 | -4.0% |
| Beazley PLC | 776.5 | -2.9% |
| Diploma PLC | 5,290.0 | -2.9% |
| Persimmon PLC | 1,100.5 | -2.5% |
| Anglo American PLC | 2,123.0 | -1.7% |
| Major World Indices | Price | % Chg | 1 Year |
| UK 100 INDEX | 9,177 | 0.1% | 9.9% |
| DOW JONES INDUS. AVG | 44,911 | 0.0% | 10.7% |
| DAX INDEX | 24,378 | 0.8% | 34.1% |
| NIKKEI 225 | 43,342 | 1.6% | 17.2% |
| S&P/ASX 200 INDEX | 8,935 | 0.7% | 13.1% |
| Copper (Comex) | Units | Price | % Chg |
| WTI Crude Oil (Nymex) | USD/bbl. | 63.74 | -0.34% |
| Brent Crude (ICE) | USD/bbl. | 66.65 | -0.28% |
| Gold Spot | USD/t oz. | 3,346 | 0.3% |
| Copper (Comex) | USd/lb. | 456 | 0.4% |
Click graph to enlarge
The UK 100 called to open +46 points this morning at 9,223. The UK 100 looks set to open above 9,200 for the first time this morning having closed out Thursday at another record high for the bluechip index. Should the index hold its premarket gains through the session to close, it would end the week with 5 straight positive sessions.
Stocks recovered yesterday Stateside during the session from intraday lows, with investors buying the dip once again in spite of a firmer than expected wholesale inflation report. The late-day gains saw the S&P notch its third straight record close, by the slimmest of margins, settling up 0.03% at 6,468.54. The Nasdaq and the Dow Jones were marginally lower, with the tech heavy index ending the day down 0.01% at 21,710.67, and the 30-stock Dow losing 11.01 points, or 0.02%, to close at 44,911.26. The S&P and Nasdaq were both down 0.4% at their lows before bouncing back. The Dow shed more than 200 points at one point. The major averages were hurt by July’s PPI read, which suggested that a Federal Reserve rate cut is far from guaranteed.
Data this morning showed China’s economy lost momentum in July, with growth faltering across the board, as weak domestic demand persisted and Beijing intensified efforts to curb excess capacity. Retail sales last month rose 3.7% from a year earlier, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Friday, sharply missing analysts’ estimates for a 4.6% growth in a Reuters poll and slowing from June’s 4.8% growth. Industrial output rose 5.7% from a year ago in July, its weakest level since November last year, according to LSEG data, and weaker than analysts’ expectations for a 5.9% rise.
Elsewhere Japan’s economy expanded 0.3% in the second quarter of 2025, compared to the first three months of the year, as the country grappled with the volatile tariff policy out of the United States.
In morning trade in Asia, the Nikkei was up almost one percent while Shanghai, Seoul and Sydney also moved higher. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell for the second straight day. This was after Chinese retail sales and industrial production grew at a slower rate than expected last month.
Oil prices dipped, reversing gains on Thursday ahead of Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the Ukraine war.
Card Factory announced after yesterday’s close that it has completed the acquisition of funkypigeon.com Limited. The transaction, which closed on August 14, was finalized on the terms previously announced on July 29, according to a company press release statement. The acquisition represents a strategic move by Card Factory to strengthen its digital presence in the celebration occasions market.
UK
None
US
None
UK
None
US
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) AMC
Chinese Industrial Production
Chinese Retail Sales
US Retail Sales
US Retail Sales Control Group
US Industrial Production
US Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index
UoM 1-year Consumer Inflation Expectations
UoM 5-year Consumer Inflation Expectations
UK 100 companies going ex-dividend on 21st August 2025:
Legal & General
Mondi
Schroders
Imperial Brands
Entain
Convatec Group
InterContinental Hotels Group
Babcock international
Anglo American
UK 250 companies going ex-dividend on 21st August 2025:
Plus 500
XPS Pension Group
Shafesbury Capital
Ibstock
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