Londonâs broader equity benchmark FTSE 100 index ended 53.24 points lower against its previous close, with Industrials and Financials were top laggard sectors on the FTSE 100 index.[optin-monster-shortcode id="wxhmli4jjedneglg1trq"]
Global Updates: Shares in the United States ended in red on Friday, as market participants were frightened by the European Central Bankâs (ECB) return to pump-priming loans to encourage a struggling European economy. Dow Jones (.DXI) closed at 25,450.24, declined by 22.99 points or 0.09%, S&P 500 Index ended at 2,743.07, down by 5.86 points or 0.21% and the technology benchmark index Nasdaq Composite was down by 13.32 points or 0.18% and closed at 7,408.14.
The Labor Department said the U.S. economy created just 20,000 jobs in February, against 311,000 gain in the prior month, as construction and retail payrolls fell. Even as the unemployment fell to 3.8 per cent, far fewer jobs were added than expected in February; economists had expected 180,000 nonfarm payroll additions.
Brexit Updates: Prime Minister Theresa May asked the European Union to try one more time to break the deadlock over Irish backstop. She warned that Brexit might not happen at all if concessions are not made.
European Market Updates: European broader equity benchmark FTSE 100 index ended 53.24 points or 0.74% lower at 7,104.31 against its previous day closing price, the FTSE 250 index ended 136.15 points or 0.71% lower at 19,047.67 and the FTSE All Share index closed Fridayâs session at 3,897.49, down by 28.54 points or 0.73% against its Thursdayâs close. Another European equity benchmark STOXX 600 ended lower at 370.58, down by 3.31 points or 0.89% against its previous day close.
London Stock Exchange Cues
Top Performers: Stocks like DEBENHAMS PLC (DEB), SPORTECH PLC (SPO) and SIG PLC (SHI) were among the top performers on the London Stock Exchange and were up by 15.64 per cent, 10.87 per cent and 8.43 per cent respectively.
Top Losers: Stocks like GVC HOLDINGS PLC (GVC), SAGA PLC (SAGA) and ALLIED MINDS PLC (ALM) were among the top losers on the London Stock Exchange and were down by 13.96 per cent, 8.79 per cent, and 6.33 per cent respectively.
Broader Market FTSE 100 Cues
Gainers: Stocks like ADMIRAL GROUP PLC (ADM.), FRESNILLO PLC (FRES) and UNILEVER PLC (ULVR) were among the top gainers in the Fridayâs session on the broader equity benchmark FTSE 100 index and were up by 2.49 per cent, 2.18 per cent, and 0.97 per cent respectively.
Laggards: Stocks like GVC HOLDINGS PLC (GVC), ASHTEAD GROUP PLC (AHT) and ANTOFAGASTA PLC (ANTO) were among the top laggards on the FTSE 100 index in the Fridayâs session and were down by 13.96 per cent, 4.05 per cent, and 3.97 per cent respectively.
Top Active Volume Movers: Stocks like VODAFONE GROUP PLC (VOD), LLOYDS BANKING GROUP PLC (LLOY), and BARCLAYS PLC (BARC) were among the top active volume stocks on the FTSE 100 Index.
Sector Summary: In Fridayâs session, sectors like Telecommunications Services, and Healthcare were only performing sectors on the broader equity benchmark FTSE 100 index and on the other hand sectors like Industrials, Financials and Consumer Cyclicals were among the major laggards on the FTSE 100 index.
Commodity Cues*
- Brent Crude was trading 0.92% lower at $65.69 per barrel.
- West Texas Intermediate was quoting lower by 1.11% at $55.03 per barrel.
- Gold was quoting higher at $1,298.75 an ounce.
London Metal Exchange Cues
Closing Price (as on 08-Mar-2019)
- LME Aluminium was quoting higher at $1,848.00 per tonne against the previous close.
- LME Lead was quoting lower at $2,072.00 per tonne against the previous close.
Forex Cues*
- British Sterling was trading lower against the US Dollar (GBP/USD) at 1.3018.
- Euro was trading higher against the British Pound (EUR/GBP) at 0.8638.
Money Market Cues*
- US 10Y Treasury Bond yield was trading lower in Fridayâs session at 2.630%.
- UK 10Y Bond yield was trading lower in Fridayâs session at 1.179%.
(At the time of writing)