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| Yesterday’s UK 100 Leaders | Price (p) | % Chg |
| Metlen Energy & Metals | 37.7 | 3.4% |
| Tesco | 488.9 | 2.8% |
| Hikma Pharmaceuticals | 1,240.0 | 2.6% |
| Imperial Brands Group | 3,201.0 | 2.4% |
| Rightmove | 464.0 | 2.3% |
| Yesterday’s UK 100 Laggards | Price (p) | % Chg |
| Fresnillo | 3,406.0 | -6.2% |
| Antofagasta | 3,503.0 | -5.5% |
| Spirax Group | 6,815.0 | -5.0% |
| Rolls-Royce Holdings | 1,215.5 | -4.5% |
| IMI | 2,640.0 | -4.5% |
| Major World Indices | Price | % Chg | 1 Year |
| UK 100 INDEX | 10,261 | 0.4% | 18.9% |
| DOW JONES INDUS. AVG | 46,558 | 0.3% | 12.2% |
| DAX INDEX | 23,447 | 0.6% | 2.0% |
| NIKKEI 225 | 53,751 | 0.1% | 45.1% |
| S&P/ASX 200 INDEX | 8,583 | 0.4% | 10.2% |
| Commodity | Units | Price | % Chg |
| WTI Crude Oil (Nymex) | USD/bbl. | 100.25 | 1.56% |
| Brent Crude (ICE) | USD/bbl. | 105.82 | 2.60% |
| Gold Spot | USD/t oz. | 4,996 | 0.5% |
| Copper (Comex) | USd/lb. | 575 | 1.5% |
Click graph to enlarge
The UK 100 is called to open +23 points at 10,284. The UK 100 looks set to open the week on the front foot this morning, despite the Iran war has pushing Brent crude above $100 as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively throttled, injecting a fresh inflation shock into global markets and forcing investors to rapidly reassess the outlook for central bank easing.
Wall Street ended Friday in the red, extending a risk-off tone that saw the major indices fall for a third consecutive week as oil volatility dominated the macro narrative. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.25%, the S&P 500 declined 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.9%. Sector performance reflected the energy-driven macro backdrop. Utilities led gains, rising 0.9%, while technology and materials fell more than 1%. The S&P 500 energy sector reached a record closing high as crude prices surged.
Asian markets began the week cautiously as the Middle East war entered its third week with no signs of de-escalation and crude prices remained elevated above $100 per barrel. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.2% with the broader Topix down 1%, reflecting concerns over rising import costs in energy-dependent economies. South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.5% while Australia’s ASX 200 declined 0.5%. Chinese equities were also weaker with the Shanghai Composite down around 1% and the CSI 300 losing 0.8%, although economic data offered some support. Industrial output accelerated to 6.3% year-on-year while retail sales rose 2.8%, suggesting the world’s second-largest economy began the year on a firmer footing.
AstraZeneca has secured European Union approval for its drug Imfinzi to be used in combination with FLOT chemotherapy for treating early-stage gastric cancer.
Easyjet and Hikma Pharmaceuticals will be relegated to the FTSE 250.
Segro this morning announced a new pre-let agreement for a 30,000 square metre data centre at its Slough Trading Estate. The company also received planning approval for a separate fully fitted facility in West London.
UK
None
US
None
UK
Essentra (ESNT) – Full Year Results
Travis Perkins (TPK) – Full Year Results
Close Brothers Group (CBG) – Half Year Results
US
Docusign Inc (NASDAQ:DOCU) AMC
Lululemon Athletica Inc (NASDAQ:LULU) AMC
Chinese Industrial Production
Chinese Retail Sales
US NY Empire State Manufacturing Index
US Industrial Production
UK 100 companies going ex-dividend on 19th March 2026:
NatWest Group
Standard Chartered
Hikma Pharmaceuticals
Pearson
Melrose Industries
Beazley
M&G
UK 250 companies going ex-dividend on 19th March 2026:
Goodwin
Chemring Group
Aberdeen Group
Lancashire Holdings
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