FTSE ends week lower as investors scarper ahead of EU summit
Reuters
Published Nov 23, 2018 17:21
FTSE ends week lower as investors scarper ahead of EU summit
By Josephine Mason
LONDON (Reuters) - UK shares ended Friday in the red, as a deepening oil rout brought a tentative rally earlier in the day to a halt and investors moved to the sidelines before a key EU summit on Sunday.
Falling for a second straight week, the FTSE 100 (FTSE) ended the day down 0.1 percent, with energy and mining sectors both down more than 3 percent. The FTSE 250 (FTMC) was flat.
EU negotiators met to try to clear the last hurdle before a Sunday summit is due to endorse the British government's Brexit deal, but the gathering ended without agreement after Spain's 11th-hour objection over Gibraltar.
With the legal divorce treaty and an accompanying political declaration on future ties due to be rubber-stamped on Sunday, investors moved to the sidelines.
"With Sunday's EU-UK Brexit Summit back on after yesterday's progress, any soundbites on remaining resolutions, be it actual progress or hopes thereof, as well as threats or actual spanners in the works, could keep GBP and thus the FTSE and its components on edge into the weekend," said Accendo Markets analyst Mike van Dulken.
Mining stocks (FTNMX1770) dropped to four-week lows, with Fresnillo (L:FRES) at the bottom of the FTSE 100 at 2-1/2-year lows. The oil index (FTNMX0530) hit its lowest since April as the crude rout deepened, with Brent falling below $60 per barrel on continued concerns about a rising glut.[O/R]
Heavyweight Shell (AS:RDSa) fell 3.8 percent.
In contrast, the selling helped companies with exposure to fuel prices - easyJet (L:EZJ), Royal Mail (L:RMG) and Ocado (L:OCDO) were top of the blue chip leader board.
Software firm Sage Group (L:SGE), up 2.9 percent, recovering from three-year lows hit earlier in the week following its results.
Housebuilders and banks also clawed back some ground lost in recent weeks amid the Brexit turmoil - Persimmon (L:PSN) was up 2.5 percent and Lloyds Bank (L:LLOY) rose 2.1 percent.
The big moves among the mid- and small-cap companies were driven by M&A and earnings news.
Ibstock (L:IBST) jumped 8.3 percent to the top of the FTSE 250 (FTMC) after it sold its U.S. brick business in a deal worth $110 million. The company said it will use the proceeds to repay debt. Peel Hunt upgraded the company to 'buy'.
Flybe (L:FLYB) shares took off after Sky News reported that Virgin Atlantic is in talks to buy the UK-listed regional airline a week after the company said it was in talks to sell itself.
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The stock ended up more than 70 percent for a record daily gain. They have lost almost half their value so far this year as the company grapples with higher fuel costs, lower demand and a weak British pound.
Interserve (L:IRV) sank 5.6 percent after the construction and services company warned debts will rise more than expected amid project delays and a weak building market.
Written By: Reuters
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