Summary
- FTSE 100 trades in red, though it manages to hold a level above 7,100
- Hargreaves Lansdown share was down by 10% after it reported lower profit before tax in the yearly result.
- Fast-food delivery app Deliveroo Plc share price rose over 11% after Germany’s Delivery Hero took a minority stake in the company.
FTSE 100 trades in red, down by 15 points at 7,107 on the first trading day of the new week. The top loser amongst the blue-chip index was wealth management service provider, Hargreaves Lansdown which is down by over 10% after it reported lower profit before tax for the full year ended 30 June 2021.
On the other hand, Fast-food delivery service provider Deliveroo Plc (LON: ROO) share price rose by 11%, the highest level since its listing on the stock market in March this year, after the company disclosed that Germany’s Delivery Hero had taken a 5.09% stake in the company. The stake is valued at about £284 million based on Friday’s closing. Online food delivery platforms like Just Eat Takeawy.com and Deliveroo Plc has benefited from the surge in food delivery demand during the EURO championship event and pandemic lockdowns.
Also Read: Deliveroo (LON:ROO) shares surge with the entry of German Delivery Hero
European Markets
Major European market indexes are trading in the negative zone. German blue-chip DAX index is down by 0.16% at 15,735, while the CAC 40, benchmark index of France was at 6,810, down by 0.10%. The European markets are in a sombre mood today because of a fall in the metal and crude oil stocks as investors fear another lockdown situation, particularly in China.
Currency Markets
The pound traded higher against the dollar at 1.3883, up by 0.08%; the dollar saw some profit booking from investors today after making high on Friday closing due to better Non-Farm Payrolls data. The US economy added 943,000 new jobs in July month.
Commodities
Brent crude oil October futures trades at USD 68.27, down by 3.39%, while the WTI crude oil contract trades at USD 65.89, down by 3.51%. Crude oil prices went downw due to the recent rise in the delta variant cases in Asian countries, particularly in China, where the number of cases hit six months high. Investors fear that the recent rise in delta variant cases could lead to lower fuel demand in China as it is the second largest oil consumer globally. In addition, other Asian countries like Malaysia and Thailand also reported higher daily cases.
Gold August futures contract also declined to lowest levels since March this year, falling below the 1700 mark but was able to bounce back. The current price hovers around USD 1744 per ounce, down by 1.08%.
Asian Markets
Major Asia Pacific indexes ended mixed. India’s Nifty 50 closed at 16,258, up by 0.12%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index closed in green, up by 0.40% at 26,283, while China’s Shanghai Composite closed in green, up by 1.05% at 3,494. Australia’s ASX200 closed at the flat level at 7538.