LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: BP Results And Weak UK Service Data Boost Stocks

LONDON (Alliance News) - The FTSE 100 advanced more than 100 points on Tuesday, buoyed as BP's annual results were met with a warm reception and as the pound dipped following disappointing UK service sector data.The FTSE 100 was climbed 105.07 points, or 1.5%, to 7,139.20 at midday. The FTSE 250 was 70.89 points higher, or 0.4%, at 18,919.70, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.2% at 923.64.The Cboe UK 100 was up 1.6% at 12,129.62, while the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.3% at 16,885.58 and the Cboe UK Small Companies flat at 11,239.71."Equities around the world remain in robust mood, with yesterday's weakness in the Dax and European markets giving way to gains," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG.Helping the FTSE extend Monday's gains were a strong set of annual results from oil major BP and a weaker pound after worrying UK service sector data.The pound was quoted at USD1.3005 at midday, down from USD1.3059 late Monday.The latest IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers' Index came in at 50.1 in January, down from 51.2 in December and only marginally above the no-change mark of 50. A score above 50 indicates expansion in the sector and one below signals contraction. The latest reading was the worst score in two-and-a-half years, and the second weakest since December 2012.ING said this latest data suggests the UK economy is treading water."The UK's purchasing managers indicator surveys suggests that the economy is stagnating as we approach Brexit day. With no deal in sight, business and consumer caution will only intensify, risking a 1Q contraction," said James Knightley, chief international economist at ING.The latest services PMI for the eurozone came in at 51.2 in January, unchanged from December. The composite index edged down to 51.0 form 51.1.In mainland Europe, the CAC 40 in Paris was up 1.1% and the DAX 30 in Frankfurt was 1.2% higher at midday.In the US, Wall Street is on course for a higher open with the Dow Jones pointed up 0.3%, the S&P 500 seen 0.1% higher and the Nasdaq called up 0.2%.After New York closes there are results from media giant Walt Disney Co. Late Monday, Google parent Alphabet's fourth-quarter profit trumped Wall Street estimates, driven largely by revenue growth in search and advertising.Alphabet reported a fourth-quarter profit of USD8.95 billion or USD12.77 per share, compared with a loss of USD3.02 billion or USD4.35 per share last year. Google advertising revenue rose to USD32.64 billion from USD27.23 billion last year, while Google other revenue increased to USD6.49 billion from USD4.97 billion.However, the stock was trading down 2.6% in after-hours trade.Taking the lead from peer Royal Dutch Shell's analyst-beating results, oil major BP was the best performer in the FTSE 100 on Tuesday after its full-year earnings came in ahead of forecasts.BP, up 4.9%, said underlying replacement cost profit came in at USD12.72 billion, up from USD6.17 billion in 2017. Market consensus had seen a figure of USD11.88 billion. Fourth quarter underlying RC profit was USD3.48 billion, up from USD2.11 billion the same period a year before. Expectations had been for underlying RC profit of USD2.63 billion. Operating cash flow for the full year, excluding payments related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, was USD26.1 billion, up from USD24.1 billion in 2017. "With the group guiding for higher production in 2019 and a further USD10bn in disposals over the next two years, the cash looks set to continue to flow for some years ahead. In the short term a good portion of that will be used to bring debt back into line with target, but longer term there's scope for substantial returns to shareholders through dividends and/or share buybacks," said Nicholas Hyett, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.Wm Morrison Supermarkets was up 1.5% after Berenberg raised the grocer to Buy from Hold. The German bank believes the Bradford-headquartered grocer stands to be one of the chief beneficiaries of the forced disposals likely to be required to approve the J Sainbury-Asda merger.Also on Tuesday, research agency Kantar Worldpanel published its latest market share data which showed that "Veganuary" beat "Dry January" in UK grocery sales.UK grocery sales in the 12 weeks to January 27 were up 1.7% on the prior year. Total till roll sales, however, fell by GBP1.5 billion as consumers kept a "watchful eye" on spending after a record December. Aldi was the fastest-growing supermarket with sales up 9.1%. The grocer's market share rose by 0.5 percentage point to 7.5%. Meanwhile, rival Lidl's market share clocked in at 5.3% after rising 0.3 percentage point. Lidl's sales were up by 7.3%. The UK's biggest supermarket by market share, Tesco, was the fastest growing among the big four, with sales up 1.0%. Its market share however, shed 0.2 of a percentage point to 27.7%.Morrisons sales rose 0.4% with its market share down to 10.6% from 10.8%.Meanwhile, Sainsbury's was the only UK supermarket to experience a reduction in sales during the period, down 0.3%, while its market share dropped by 0.4 percentage point to 15.9%.Tesco shares were up 1.2% and Sainsbury's up 0.1%.Towards the other end of the index was SEGRO, down 1.1% after Societe Generale cut the property investor to Hold from Buy.Greencore was at the top of the FTSE 250 after Jefferies resumed the food-to-go maker with a Buy recommendation. Indivior slumped 12% after a court in the US rejected the drugmaker's motion for a rehearing of its case against Dr Reddy's Laboratories.Dr Reddy's has been developing a generic buprenorphine/naloxone treatment, based on Indivior's Suboxone, with Indivior trying to halt development in court.Indivior had appealed against the removal of an injunction against Dr Reddy's plans, but this has been rejected by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Indivior plans on filing an emergency motion with the court while an appeal in Delaware goes on, with Delaware having decided Dr Reddy's has not infringed Indivior's patent. FTSE 250 constituent Indivior believes that if Dr Reddy's launches its generic product, it will lose up to 80% of its market share "within a matter of months".