Gordon Stein, CFO of CleanTech Lithium, explains why CTL acquired the 23 Laguna Verde licenses. Watch the video here.

Less Ads, More Data, More Tools Register for FREE

Pin to quick picksRDSA.L Share News (RDSA)

  • There is currently no data for RDSA

Watchlists are a member only feature

Login to your account

Alerts are a premium feature

Login to your account

UPDATE 1-Sterling rally hurts FTSE 100 as Brexit and growth anxieties dominate

Tue, 04th Dec 2018 17:34

* FTSE 100 down 0.6 pct, FTSE 250 down 1.3 pct

* Top EU court advisor says Brexit could revoke Article 50

* Thomas Cook hits 6-year low

* Gold stocks rally on higher prices

* Quarterly reweighting roils some shares(Adds details, closing prices)

By Helen Reid and Josephine Mason

LONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Concerns about growth, doubtsabout a U.S.-China trade truce, and a rising pound droveBritain's top stock index down on Tuesday, while precious metalminers regained their lustre as gold prices rallied.

The FTSE 100 closed down 0.6 percent with thestronger sterling dragging on its exporter-heavy constituents.

Still, the market outperformed its euro-zone peers due togains in its heavyweight oil and gold mining sectors and aflight to defensive stocks, popular at times of economicturmoil.

But as investors' optimism on a deal between U.S. PresidentDonald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to delay tariffsevaporated, concerns about Brexit returned.

The currency rose as much as 0.9 percent after an adviser tothe European Union's highest court said Britain should beallowed to unilaterally revoke its departure notice.

Investors were on tenterhooks as the British parliamentbegan five days of debates on Prime Minister Theresa May'sBrexit deal ahead of a crucial Dec. 11 vote.

"We're fairly neutral on the UK, but we're playing it mainlythrough passive exposure - because you get the benefit of thecurrency if it weakens," said Rory McPherson, investmentdirector at Psigma Investment Management.

The quarterly reweighting of the indexes also roiled someshares, with Hiscox expected to oust Royal Mailfrom the blue chips and storied carmaker Aston Martinset for promotion to the midcap index just two months after itsIPO.

Final moves will be announced by the LSE on Wednesday basedon market cap at Tuesday's close.

BAE Systems, down 5.5 percent, was one of thebiggest decliners after Deutsche Bank cut its price target onthe stock. Ferguson, previously known as Wolseley, lost4.3 percent after the world's largest heating & plumbingequipment supplier published first-quarter results.

While trading profit was in line with expectations, analystssaid the performance of the U.S. business, the company's largestmarket, disappointed.

Mining stocks such as Antofagasta and Glencore, down 3.5 and1 percent respectively, fell as copper prices eased back ondoubts over how fragile a trade truce struck at the G20 onSaturday was.

Randgold Resources and Fresnillo both rosemore than 3 percent as the gold miners benefited from investors'bid for gold, considered a safer store of value in volatilemarkets.

Gold prices climbed to over a one-month high as the dollarslipped.

Energy shares were a relatively bright spot, with oil majorBP rising 1 percent and Shell ending littlechanged. Both ended off earlier highs as worries over tradecurbed gains on crude oil prices.

Thomas Cook shares fell as much as 16.9 percent tohit their lowest level in six years amid growing concerns aboutthe tour operator's debts.

The shares closed 3.9 percent lower after an extremelychoppy session as investors braced for the stock to be demotedfrom the midcap index. Its credit default swaps soared and bondsfell to all-time lows.

The tour operator and travel company has lost 60 percent inthe past week since its second profit warning in as many months.

Shares in construction and engineering firm Kierfell 4.1 percent after Canaccord Genuity cut its rating on thestock to "hold" from "buy" after the company's recentlyannounced rights issue.

"After fees, a worse than previously assumed working capitaloutflow and confirmation of the average debt level using dailyaverages, the annualised benefit from the rights issue isarguably only around 90 million pounds," the analysts wrote.

Online financial trading firm IG Group, down 9.7percent, was among the biggest decliners on the FTSE 250 afterit forecast a drop in trading revenue.

Ted Baker fell a further 8.4 percent, extending itslosses from Monday when an employee petition criticising theCEO's policy of hugging sent the stock down 15 percent.

Consort Medical shares plunged 21.5 percent afterthe pharmaceutical firm's full-year pre-tax profit was dented byabout 3 million pounds due to delays with Mylan in their Wixeladrug programme.

The stock suffered its worst day in a quarter-century.

Overall, analysts are downgrading their estimates ofdomestic U.K. stocks' earnings at the fastest rate since theBrexit vote of June 2016.

"We feel there's better trades to be had than being exposedto U.K. domestics. It could be a fantastic trade if we get agood deal, but at the moment they're very beaten down," saidPsigma's McPherson.

(Reporting by Helen Reid; Editing by Angus MacSwan and AndrewCawthorne)

More News
27 Oct 2022 07:30

Shell announces $4bn share buyback as Q3 profits beat expectations

(Sharecast News) - Oil giant Shell announced a $4bn share buyback on Thursday as it posted better-than-expected third-quarter profits.

Read more
21 Apr 2022 11:53

Shell turning to China to offload Russian business - report

(Sharecast News) - Shell is reportedly looking to China as it looks to offload its Russian business.

Read more
15 Feb 2022 15:54

Shell preparing to sell North Sea gas fields - report

(Sharecast News) - Shell is reportedly preparing to launch the sale of its stakes in two clusters of gas fields in the southern British North Sea, part of an ongoing retreat of long-time producers from the ageing basin.

Read more
7 Feb 2022 10:52

Berenberg nudges up target price on Shell

(Sharecast News) - Analysts at Berenberg slightly raised their target price on oil and gas giant Shell from 2,350.0p to 2,375.0p on Monday, stating the firm was "on a roll".

Read more
31 Jan 2022 10:53

TOP NEWS SUMMARY: Shell and BHP share unifications go into effect

TOP NEWS SUMMARY: Shell and BHP share unifications go into effect

Read more
31 Jan 2022 07:48

LONDON MARKET PRE-OPEN: WeBuyAnyCar owner buys into Lookers

LONDON MARKET PRE-OPEN: WeBuyAnyCar owner buys into Lookers

Read more
28 Jan 2022 11:25

Shell's renewables boss steps down after less than two years

* Elisabeth Brinton leaves for new role, she says* Shell creates two new renewables leadership roles* Thomas Brostrøm to head renewables generation* Steve Hill to head energy marketingBy Ron BoussoLONDON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Shell's head of renewable...

Read more
27 Jan 2022 16:14

UK earnings, trading statements calendar - next 7 days

UK earnings, trading statements calendar - next 7 days

Read more
26 Jan 2022 17:02

LONDON MARKET CLOSE: FTSE 100 soars ahead of Fed as oil, travel gain

LONDON MARKET CLOSE: FTSE 100 soars ahead of Fed as oil, travel gain

Read more
26 Jan 2022 14:36

China's Sinopec awards fewer cargoes in recent LNG tender

By Chen Aizhu and Marwa RashadSINGAPORE/LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Unipec, the oil and gas trading arm of China's Sinopec Corp has awarded fewer-than-planned cargoes in a recent tender to sell up to 45 cargoes of liquefied natural gas for 2022 del...

Read more
26 Jan 2022 12:16

LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Markets brace for aggressive US Fed tightening

LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Markets brace for aggressive US Fed tightening

Read more
26 Jan 2022 09:33

UPDATE 2-Commodity, bank stocks lead FTSE 100 higher; Playtech drops

* Oil and banking shares top gainers* Wizz Air reports Q3 loss, expects improvement in spring* FTSE 100 up 1.3%, FTSE 250 add 1.1% (Updates to market close)By Shashank Nayar and Ambar WarrickJan 26 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 rose on Wednesday wit...

Read more
26 Jan 2022 09:12

LONDON MARKET OPEN: Fresnillo drops on 2022 production warning

LONDON MARKET OPEN: Fresnillo drops on 2022 production warning

Read more
25 Jan 2022 21:13

UPDATE 1-U.S. awards 13 mln barrel exchange of crude from strategic reserve

(Adds details on sale, background on 50 million barrel SPR plan)WASHINGTON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy said on Tuesday it had approved an exchange of 13.4 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to ...

Read more
25 Jan 2022 20:10

U.S. awards exchange of 13 mln barrels of crude from strategic reserve

WASHINGTON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy said on Tuesday it had approved an exchange of 13.4 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to seven companies.The companies are Shell Trading US, 4.2 million ...

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.