London’s broader equity benchmark index FTSE 100 ended 44.86 points higher against its previous close, with Basic Materials and Energy were among the top performing sectors on the FTSE 100 Index in the Friday’s session.
Global Updates: Shares in the United States ended in green, with Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) surged by 211.22 points, or 0.82% at 25,928.68, the S&P 500 index added 18.96 points or 0.67% and ended at 2,834.40 and the technology benchmark Nasdaq Composite index ended 60.16 points higher or 0.78% at 7,729.32 respectively.
According to the Commerce Department, economic growth in the U.S. slowed more than initially thought in the final part of 2018; fourth-quarter GDP growth revised down to 2.2 per cent. The rate was lower than the Trump administration's 3 per cent annual target and was down from the 2.6 per cent pace estimated in February. The revision reflected markdowns to consumer, business and government spending.
Brexit News: The parliament rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal for a third time, plunging the three-year Brexit crisis to a deeper level of uncertainty. This leaves Britain's withdrawal from the European Union in turmoil as it is unclear how, when or even whether Britain will leave the EU. The lawmakers voted 344-286 against Theresa May's deal, the smallest margin of defeat for the PM.
European Market Updates: In Friday’s market session, the broader European equity benchmark FTSE 100 index ended 44.86 points or 0.62% higher at 7,279.19, the FTSE 250 index surged by 208.90 points or 1.10% and ended at 19,117.49 and the FTSE All Share index added 26.92 points or 0.68% and ended the session at 3,978.28 respectively. Another broader European equity benchmark index STOXX 600 ended 2.25 points or 0.60% higher at 379.09.
London Stock Exchange (LSE) Cues
Top Performers: Stocks like VIVO ENERGY PLC (VVO), MITIE GROUP PLC (MTO) and PETRA DIAMONDS LIMITED (PDL) were among the top performers on the LSE and were up by 8.67%, 6.90% and 6.13% respectively.
Top Losers: Stocks like CARPETRIGHT PLC (CPR), TOWN CENTRE SECURITIES PLC (TOWN) and ASTRAZENECA PLC (AZN) were among the laggards on the LSE and were down by 8.00%, 7.27% and 5.56% respectively.
Broader Market FTSE 100 Cues
Gainers: Stocks like ANTOFAGASTA PLC (ANTO), CRH PLC (CRH) and ANGLO AMERICAN PLC (AAL) were among the top gainers in the Friday’s session on the broader equity benchmark FTSE 100 index and were up by 3.60 per cent, 3.49 per cent, and 3.08 per cent respectively.
Laggards: Stocks like ASTRAZENECA PLC (AZN), TUI AG (TUI) and BERKELEY GROUP HOLDINGS (THE) PLC (BKG) were among the laggards on the FTSE 100 index in the Friday’s session and were down by 5.56 per cent, 4.44 per cent, and 1.86 per cent respectively.
Top Active Volume Movers: Stocks like LLOYDS BANKING GROUP PLC (LLOY), VODAFONE GROUP PLC (VOD), and GLENCORE PLC (GLEN) were among the top active volume stocks on the FTSE 100 Index.
Sector Summary: In Friday's market session, sectors like Basic Materials, Energy, and Industrials were among the top performing sectors on the broader equity benchmark index FTSE 100 and sectors like Healthcare and Utilities and were among the laggards on the broader equity benchmark index FTSE 100.
Commodity Cues*
- Brent Crude was trading at $67.60 per barrel.
- West Texas Intermediate was quoting at $60.20 per barrel.
- Gold was quoting at $1,296.95 an ounce.
London Metal Exchange Cues
Closing Price (as on Mar-29-2019)
- LME Aluminium was quoting at $1,900.00 per tonne.
- LME Lead was quoting at $2,022.00 per tonne.
Forex Cues*
- Currency Pair GBP/USD was quoting at 1.3036.
- Currency Pair EUR/GBP was quoting at 0.8606.
Money Market Cues*
- US 10Y Treasury Bond yield was quoting at 2.407% in Friday’s session.
- UK 10Y Bond yield was quoting at 0.997% in Friday’s session.
*(At the time of writing)
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