Roundtable Discussion; The Future of Mineral Sands. 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
25 Jan 2022 17:05

LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Europe follows NY rebound but Fed jitters linger

LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Europe follows NY rebound but Fed jitters linger

Read more
25 Jan 2022 09:47

Capricorn Energy's Egyptian acquisition exceeding expectations

Capricorn Energy's Egyptian acquisition exceeding expectations

Read more
25 Jan 2022 00:01

UK government commits 32 mln pounds for floating wind projects

By Nina ChestneyLONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The British government said on Tuesday it will commit nearly 32 million pounds ($42 million) to fund the development of floating offshore wind projects to help lessen its dependence on gas, the price of w...

Read more
24 Jan 2022 21:23

Lyondell Houston oil refinery sale in focus ahead of investor call

By Erwin SebaHOUSTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Chances for a quick sale of LyondellBasell Industries' Houston oil refinery are dwindling with several other refineries competing for buyers, said people familiar with the matter on Monday.The petrochemical...

Read more
21 Jan 2022 19:17

UPDATE 1-Royal Dutch no more - Shell officially changes name

(Adds details, background)By Ron BoussoLONDON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Shell officially changed its name on Friday, ditching "Royal Dutch", which has been part of its identity since 1907, following plans to scrap its dual share structure and move its h...

Read more
21 Jan 2022 18:48

Shell officially drops Royal Dutch from name

LONDON, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Shell said on Friday it has officially changed its name from Royal Dutch Shell Plc to Shell Plc as part of its plan to scrap its dual share structure and move its head office from the Netherlands to Britain."Shell annou...

Read more
21 Jan 2022 09:38

LONDON BROKER RATINGS: Berenberg ups Rentokil; Citi cuts Computacenter

LONDON BROKER RATINGS: Berenberg ups Rentokil; Citi cuts Computacenter

Read more
21 Jan 2022 08:30

UPDATE 6-Oil majors TotalEnergies and Chevron withdraw from Myanmar

* Another example of Western firms leaving after coup* Had talked with French, U.S. about targeted sanctions* Was not possible to implement them* Sees junta as here to stay (Adds comment by TotalEnergies, details, bullet points)By Benjamin Mallet an...

Read more
21 Jan 2022 08:30

UPDATE 5-Oil majors TotalEnergies and Chevron withdraw from Myanmar

(Adds PTTEP's reaction, Shell)By Benjamin Mallet and Florence TanPARIS, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Oil majors TotalEnergies and Chevron Corp, partners in a major gas project in Myanmar, said on Friday they were withdrawing from the country, citing the wor...

Read more
20 Jan 2022 20:34

Mexico's Pemex says closes acquisition of Deer Park refinery

MEXICO CITY, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Mexican state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) on Thursday said it had finalized the complete acquisition of the Deer Park refinery in Texas from Royal Dutch Shell, its longstanding partner at the facility.Pe...

Read more
20 Jan 2022 19:21

UPDATE 3-Shell to supply crude to Pemex's Texas refinery under long-term pact

* Formal handover completed and new directors installed* Mexico to receive up to 230,000 bpd of gasoline, fuels (Adds transfer boosts Pemex in negotiations with suppliers)By Adriana Barrera and Ana Isabel MartinezMEXICO CITY/HOUSTON, Jan 20 (Reuters...

Read more
20 Jan 2022 19:21

UPDATE 2-Shell to supply crude to Pemex's Texas refinery under long-term pact

* Formal handover completed and new directors installed* Mexico to receive up to 230,000 bpd of gasoline, fuels (Adds statements by Shell, Pemex confirming agreement)By Adriana Barrera and Ana Isabel MartinezMEXICO CITY/HOUSTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - M...

Read more
20 Jan 2022 17:45

Shell, UK regulators revive talks on North Sea gas field development

By Ron Bousso and Dmitry ZhdannikovLONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell and British regulators have revived talks on developing the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea as the government struggles with soaring gas and power prices, company a...

Read more
20 Jan 2022 17:26

Pemex taking control of Texas refinery on Thursday, sources say

MEXICO CITY, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Mexican state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) will on Thursday take control of the Deer Park refinery in Texas, after concluding the purchase of Royal Dutch Shell's half of that plant, two people familiar wi...

Read more
20 Jan 2022 17:02

LONDON MARKET CLOSE: FTSE 100 down as BP, Shell and AB Foods weigh

LONDON MARKET CLOSE: FTSE 100 down as BP, Shell and AB Foods weigh

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.