(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock
markets, click LIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window)
* Just Group jumps on strong earnings
* Unite Group rises on upbeat outlook
* UBS bullish on FTSE 100 in 2021
* Midcaps end near 13-month high
* FTSE 100 up 0.8%, FTSE 250 adds 1.1%
(Updates to close)
By Shivani Kumaresan and Amal S
March 16 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 rose on Tuesday
following a clutch of upbeat company earnings, while AstraZeneca
rose after the European medicine watchdog said it saw little
reason to change its stance on the drugmaker's COVID-19 vaccine.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index ended 0.8% higher at
its best close since early January, with financials, healthcare
and consumer staples stocks among the best performers.
AstraZeneca was the top boost to the index after the
European Medicines Agency (EMA) head, Emer Cooke, said she saw
no reason to change its recommendation of the vaccine. The EMA
is still investigating concerns over the shot's safety and will
release its findings on Thursday.
"The market is starting to appreciate that higher yields are
not necessarily a bad thing for stocks, as long as they reflect
higher growth and inflation expectations," said Andrea Cicione,
head of strategy at TS Lombard.
"Over the last few sessions, investors are gaining a bit
more confidence and are getting comfortable with growth again."
A recent rise in treasury yields had hampered an otherwise
strong start to the year for UK stocks, as investors feared a
bigger-than-expected spike in inflation as economies began to
reopen.
Meanwhile, brokerage UBS in a note said it remained bullish
on UK equities and raised its FTSE 100 year-end target from
7,200 to 7,600, a 17.6% premium to its 2020 close.
The energy sector was the top laggard for the day, as lower
oil prices resulted in losses in oil heavyweights BP Plc
and Royal Dutch Shell Plc .
The domestically focused FTSE 250 index rose 1.1% to
a near 13-month high, almost completely recovering its losses
from the coronavirus crisis.
Specialist pension provider Just Group Plc rose
5.2% after it reported an 11% rise in annual earnings and
flagged progress in shoring up its capital base.
Student housing provider Unite gained 2.2%, after it
forecast a return to full occupancy and rental growth for the
upcoming academic year and reinstated dividend for the
pandemic-hit 2020.
(Reporting by Shivani Kumaresan and Amal S in Bengaluru;
Editing by Arun Koyyur and Lisa Shumaker)
UK dividends calendar - next 7 days
Monday 24 October | |
Hargreaves Lansdown PLC | dividend payment date |
HgCapital Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Tuesday 25 October | |
no events scheduled | |
Wednesday 26 October | |
Ecora Resources PLC | dividend payment date |
Midwich Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Morgan Sindall Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Smith & Nephew PLC | dividend payment date |
Thursday 27 October | |
AEW UK REIT PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Balfour Beatty PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Bankers Investment Trust PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Brunner Investment Trust PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
City of London Investment Trust PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
CQS Natural Resources Growth & Income PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
CQS New City High Yield Fund Ltd | ex-dividend payment date |
D4T4 Solutions PLC | special dividend date |
Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Ferguson PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Fidelity Asian Values PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
FW Thorpe | ex-dividend payment date |
Headlam Group PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Henderson Far East Income Ltd | ex-dividend payment date |
Law Debenture Corp PLC | dividend payment date |
Learning Technologies Group PLC | dividend payment date |
MJ Gleeson PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Morgan Advanced Materials PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Mulberry Group PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Next Fifteen Communications Group PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Wilmington PLC | ex-dividend payment date |
Friday 28 October | |
abrdn Latin American Income Fund Ltd | dividend payment date |
abrdn Private Equity Opportunities Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
abrdn Smaller Companies Income Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
abrdn UK Smaller Companies Growth Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
AG Barr PLC | dividend payment date |
Computacenter PLC | dividend payment date |
Essentra PLC | dividend payment date |
Fidelity European Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Gateley Holdings PLC | dividend payment date |
Gresham House PLC | dividend payment date |
Henderson High Income Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Hipgnosis Songs Fund Ltd | dividend payment date |
Hunting PLC | dividend payment date |
Kainos Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Keywords Studios PLC | dividend payment date |
Martin Currie Global Portfolio Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Mears Group PLC | dividend payment date |
North American Income Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Pantheon Infrastructure PLC | dividend payment date |
Petershill Partners PLC | dividend payment date |
Rightmove PLC | dividend payment date |
RIT Capital Partners | dividend payment date |
Ruffer Investment Co Ltd | dividend payment date |
Safestyle UK PLC | dividend payment date |
Securities Trust of Scotland PLC | dividend payment date |
Shires Income PLC | dividend payment date |
Smart Metering Systems PLC | dividend payment date |
Smurfit Kappa Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Ten Entertainment Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Unite Group PLC | dividend payment date |
Value & Indexed Property Income Trust PLC | dividend payment date |
Videndum PlC | dividend payment date |
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