Next Share News (NXT)

London's blue chips ended Tuesday on a weaker note, as investors responded to a data-heavy session against a backdrop of the on-going protests in Hong Kong.With retailers dragging the way lower, the FTSE 100 closed 23.88 points lower at 6,622.72.Much of the day's focus was on the Eurozone, where figures showed a drop in the region's core rate of inflation to a five-year low of 0.3%. The jobless rate in the euro-area held at 11.5% in August.The European Central Bank, which is targeting inflation of just below 2%, has been under pressure to take further policy action such as full-on QE ahead of its meeting on Thursday."If the macroeconomic picture deteriorates and medium-term inflation expectations move another clear leg down, we would expect the ECB to respond by broadening its purchase program to include assets like senior bank bonds, non-financial debt and potentially also EFSF/ESM bonds, with the main aim of accelerating balance sheet expansion and debasing the currency (forget the transmission mechanism!)," UniCredit said.The euro/dollar fell to two-year lows below the key $1.2600 level after the inflation report. The euro fell 0.73% to $1.2592 at the midday mark.Back in the UK, gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at a 0.9% quarter-on-quarter pace in the second quarter, according to revised estimates from the Office for National Statistics, slightly ahead of the 0.8% gain expected by economists.That came as it was announced that UK house prices declined by an average 0.2% in September, according to Nationwide.This caused the annual rate of house price growth to fall to its lowest point in eight months, the latest evidence to suggest a softening housing market.Broker comment lifts Associated British FoodsAssociated British Foods climbed after Credit Suisse upgraded the stock to 'outperform' with a target price of 3,000p.Product testing group Intertek was a strong riser after investors learned it has appointed André Lacroix as chief executive. Lacroix has spent close to a decade in charge of automotive dealership company Inchape.State-owned lender Royal Bank of Scotland headed north after it revealed it now expects to "significantly" outperform its previous guidance of approximately £1bn in total impairments for the fiscal year 2014 thanks to a strong operating performance by RBS Capital Resolution and a continued improvement in economic conditions and asset prices, including Ireland.Clothes retailer Next led the downside after it warned that third quarter sales were lower than its previous expectations and a continuation of the cold weather could reduce full year profits. However, the FTSE 100 group was confident enough to maintain its full year guidance, saying "our experience suggests that some lost sales are regained when the weather turns".According to The Times, the latest data from Kantar Worldpanel has shown that Marks & Spencer, the retailer led by Marc Bolland, is losing market share, prompting a drop in the retailer's share price.Canaccord Genuity dragged Weir Group into the red after lowering its rating to 'hold' from 'buy' and cutting its target price from 3,000p to 2,775p. Market MoverstechMARK 2,812.24 -0.22%FTSE 100 6,622.72 -0.36%FTSE 250 15,379.72 -0.07%FTSE 100 - RisersAssociated British Foods (ABF) 2,679.00p +4.53%easyJet (EZJ) 1,423.00p +3.04%Intertek Group (ITRK) 2,621.00p +2.10%Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 368.20p +1.88%Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 251.50p +1.70%Diageo (DGE) 1,785.00p +1.28%Compass Group (CPG) 996.50p +1.27%Pearson (PSON) 1,240.00p +1.22%CRH (CRH) 1,410.00p +1.22%Smiths Group (SMIN) 1,264.00p +1.12%FTSE 100 - FallersNext (NXT) 6,605.00p -3.79%Prudential (PRU) 1,376.00p -2.72%Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 404.60p -2.60%Sports Direct International (SPD) 618.50p -2.44%Intu Properties (INTU) 322.70p -2.21%Legal & General Group (LGEN) 228.90p -2.14%GKN (GKN) 319.20p -2.12%ARM Holdings (ARM) 906.00p -2.00%St James's Place (STJ) 730.00p -1.88%IMI (IMI) 1,230.00p -1.84%FTSE 250 - RisersHikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 1,733.00p +6.65%RPC Group (RPC) 559.00p +6.37%Centamin (DI) (CEY) 61.15p +5.34%African Barrick Gold (ABG) 218.80p +5.24%Melrose Industries (MRO) 247.70p +4.34%BTG (BTG) 700.00p +3.78%Polymetal International (POLY) 516.00p +3.78%Bank of Georgia Holdings (BGEO) 2,458.00p +3.49%Lonmin (LMI) 185.80p +3.11%Evraz (EVR) 130.00p +2.85%FTSE 250 - FallersAL Noor Hospitals Group (ANH) 1,018.00p -6.52%Inchcape (INCH) 644.00p -3.95%Debenhams (DEB) 58.30p -2.59%Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT) 973.00p -2.55%SSP Group (SSPG) 259.70p -2.52%Greencore Group (GNC) 234.00p -2.50%IP Group (IPO) 204.20p -2.48%Ferrexpo (FXPO) 112.30p -2.43%ICAP (IAP) 387.30p -2.12%AO World (AO.) 188.00p -2.08%