Less Ads, More Data, More Tools Register for FREE

Pin to quick picksMOSB.L Share News (MOSB)

  • There is currently no data for MOSB

Watchlists are a member only feature

Login to your account

Alerts are a premium feature

Login to your account

FTSE retreats as more drama hits UK retail

Wed, 21st Mar 2018 10:39

(For a live blog on European stocks, type LIVE/ in an Eikonnews window)

* FTSE 100 down 0.4 pct

* Retail stocks lead losses

* Moss Bros sinks 20 pct after profit warning

* Kingfisher bottom of FTSE 100

* FTSE 350 Retailers index lowest since Brexit

By Tom Pfeiffer

LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - British shares fell onWednesday as Kingfisher and Moss Bros piledmore bad news on a UK retail industry reeling from the surge ine-commerce.

Share declines accelerated after data showed Britishworkers' pay had risen at the fastest pace in nearly two and ahalf years. That pushed up the value of the pound and hit sharesin big multinationals and exporters.

Any end to the long squeeze on UK household incomes was notshowing through in the retail industry on Wednesday, however.

Formal clothing chain Moss Bros lost a fifth of its marketvalue after a profit warning it blamed on supply chain problemsand fewer customers in its stores. Home improvement chainKingfisher also reported a recent deterioration in trading.

The FTSE 100 index was down 0.53 percent at 1028GMT, with Kingfisher falling 8 percent to its lowest level sinceNovember. Among other retailers, clothing chain Next wasdown 1.2 percent and Primark owner ABF fell 1.1 percent.

After holding steady in January and February, UK retailershares have tumbled 9 percent this month, outpacinga 3 percent drop in the wider FTSE 350 index. The retailindex is at its lowest since the aftermath of the Brexit vote.

Underscoring the increasing power of online retail, U.S.ecommerce giant Amazon overtook Google owner Alphabetby market value on Tuesday.

Multinationals such as BAT, Diageo andUnilever helped pull down the FTSE as the pound rose0.4 percent against the dollar following the wage growthnumbers.

Morgan Stanley strategists had been forecasting strong datathat would pave the way for the Bank of England to deliver ahawkish statement when it meets on Thursday.

"It has been well established that a number of Bank ofEngland officials are expecting wages to start outstrippingheadline inflation in the coming months, and a strong averageearnings number today could well reinforce that narrative, andraise expectations of a move on rates in May, irrespective ofyesterday’s softening in headline CPI," said Michael Hewson,Chief Market Analyst at CMC Markets UK.

Investors were also awaiting the conclusion of a U.S.Federal Reserve meeting for signals on the pace of expectedinterest rate rises.(Reporting by Tom Pfeiffer, Editing by Helen Reid)

More News
28 Oct 2014 06:18

UK Dividends Calendar - Week Ahead

Read more
27 Oct 2014 15:53

UK Dividends Calendar - Week Ahead

Read more
27 Oct 2014 06:19

UK Dividends Calendar - Week Ahead

Read more
24 Oct 2014 15:28

UK Dividends Calendar - Week Ahead

Read more
24 Oct 2014 05:15

UK Dividends Calendar - Week Ahead

Read more
23 Oct 2014 15:17

UK Dividends Calendar - Week Ahead

Read more
6 Oct 2014 16:37

DIRECTOR DEALINGS: Moss Bros Non-Executive's Wife Acquires Shares

Read more
3 Oct 2014 09:25

Friday broker round-up UPDATE

Anite: Investec places its target price (prev.: 90p) under review maintaining a hold recommendation. Avon Rubber: WH Ireland ups target price from 765p to 800p and retains a buy recommendation. Investec ups target price from 700p to 720p upgrading from add to buy. BTG: Panmure Gordon raises target

Read more
3 Oct 2014 08:34

UK BROKER RATINGS: Goldman Sachs Raises Debenhams To Neutral

Read more
25 Sep 2014 12:12

DIRECTOR DEALINGS: Moss Bros Non-Executive Director Buys Shares

Read more
23 Sep 2014 16:39

Moss Bros director tops up stake after sales rise

Zoe Morgan, an independent non-executive director of men's clothing retailer Moss Bros, has together with her husband added 13,280 shares to their existing holding of 50,424. The director paid 93.47p a share for a total spend of £12,413. The deal was made on Monday, the same day the company reporte

Read more
22 Sep 2014 10:07

Investments Hold Back Moss Bros Interim Profit But Sales Going Strong

Read more
22 Sep 2014 08:54

Moss Bros hires out fewer wedding outfits but sales rise

Men's outfitter Moss Bros blamed lower wedding business for a drop-off in summer hire sales, but said overall sales were looking up. Moss Bros said hire bookings for the 2014 wedding season were behind last year's levels, although the average price achieved on hire continued to improve due to the la

Read more
22 Sep 2014 06:32

MARKET COMMENT: UK Stocks To Open Lower As Tesco Reveals Profit Error

Read more
22 Sep 2014 06:16

Suit specialist Moss Bros' first-half profit slips

Sept 22 (Reuters) - British suit specialist Moss Bros Group Plc reported a marginal drop in first-half pretax profit, hurt by increased investment in marketing and acceleration in its store refurbishment programme. The company, which sells and hires out formal clothing in the UK through its

Read more

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.

Quickpicks are a member only feature

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.