THE LONDON REPORT
The FTSE 100 closed down 0.5 per cent yesterday, after weaker than expected economic data in the US dragged equities lower, with oil producers and miners leading the losers. The index ended 24.24 points lower at 4,647.13, shy of Monday’s close when it hit its best closing level since the collapse of Lehman Brothers late last year.
Energy stocks headed south as demand for crude waned. BP, Cairn Energy and Tullow Oil fell between 1 and 1.9 per cent, while BG Group and Royal Dutch Shell fell 3.6 and 3.9 per cent respectively as the companies traded ex-dividend.
Mining stocks also took a hit as metal prices came under attack following the release of the data in the US. Randgold Resources, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Antofagasta and Xstrata were down between 1 and 4.3 per cent. Fresnillo shed 1.2 per cent after Banc of America-Merrill Lynch downgraded it to “neutral” in a review of the mining sector.
Long-term, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch said the outlook for metals prices was rosy as the global economy began to pick up.
AstraZeneca and Reed Elsevier were also lower after trading ex-dividend. Other defensives were lower as GlaxoSmithKline, British American Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco dropped 0.2 to 1.6 per cent.
Shire bucked the trend, rising 4.2 per cent, after it reported second-quarter revenues ahead of expectations.
Banks owed their support to Lloyds, which jumped 10.6 per cent after it posted a £4bn loss in the first half of the year as it was hit by a surge in bad debts from the HBOS business, but said it was through the worst.
Barclays, Standard Chartered and Royal Bank of Scotland were all higher, adding between 2.4 and 4.4 per cent.
Property firms also drew support from the Lloyds figures, which showed impairments from its multi-billion pound commercial mortgage book had peaked, and data showing house prices jumped 1.1 per cent in July, according to lender Halifax.
British Land, Hammerson, Land Securities Group and Liberty International advanced between 3.7 and 5.8 per cent.