👀 Ones to watch: The MOST undervalued stocks to buy right nowSee Undervalued Stocks

UPDATE 2-UK stocks end higher but log worst week in three months

Published 12/06/2020, 10:01
Updated 12/06/2020, 17:36
© Reuters.
UK100
-
FTMC
-
FTNMX301010
-
FTNMX303010
-
FTNMX601010
-
IQE
-
GAW
-

(For a live blog on European stocks, type LIVE/ in an Eikon
news window)
* UK economy shrinks by record 20.4% in April
* London stock indexes log first weekly decline in four
* Tech firm IQE jumps, expects to return to profit in first
half
* FTSE 100 up 0.5%, FTSE 250 rises 0.6%

(Adds comments, updates prices to close)
By Shreyashi Sanyal
June 12 (Reuters) - UK stocks snapped a four-day losing
streak on Friday as battered cyclical shares rose, but overall
gains were slim as sentiment was subdued after the country
reported a record economic contraction in April.
For the week as a whole, benchmark indexes marked their
worst weekly drop in about three months, following heavy losses
in recent days as the impact of the coronavirus hit equity
markets.
Cyclical stocks including banks .FTNMX8350 , insurers
.FTNMX8570 and oil & gas .FTNMX0530 , bounced back on Friday
after being at the centre of a heavy sell-off in the previous
session.
The benchmark FTSE 100 index .FTSE rose 0.5% and the
domestically focused mid-cap index .FTMC climbed 0.6%.
A tight lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 shrunk
Britain's economy by 20.4% in April from March and 24.5% from a
year ago, data showed. Both the readings were below the already
weak forecasts in a Reuters poll of economists. "Investors are not stupid, they know April was arguably the
height of the lockdown. The unprecedented nature of the fall in
economic activity just mirrored the unprecedented act of
effectively shutting down a modern economy," said Russ Mould,
investment director at AJ Bell.
The FTSE 100 fell 5.8% on the week, while the FTSE mid-250
index dropped 6.4% on renewed concerns about the COVID-19
pandemic after the United States said growth in new cases
accelerated recently.
"Rightly the focus is on the shape and timing of any
recovery and simmering concerns about a second wave in the
pandemic are far more relevant than just how terrible
backward-facing data will look," Mould said.
Focus will now move to the Bank of England, which is
expected to announce a fresh increase of at least 100 billion
pounds ($126 billion) in its bond-buying firepower next week.

Among share outperforming on Friday, Games Workshop Group
GAW.L jumped 8.7% after the fantasy miniatures maker raised
its full-year sales forecast.
Technology company IQE IQE.L , which makes semiconductor
wafers for chips used in Apple AAPL.O products, surged 23%
after forecasting a 27% jump in half-yearly revenue and said it
expects to return to profitability.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.