UK Stocks Close Lower as FTSE 100 Retreats
London stocks finished the trading session in the red on Wednesday, with the FTSE 100 Index descending 0.16% to close at 7,902.68 points, according to Investing.com. The decline was driven by losses in several heavyweight sectors, including energy, financials, and healthcare. * Oil and gas majors BP (-1.53%) and Shell (-1.07%) dragged down the energy sector amid concerns over future demand due to the ongoing energy crisis. * Banks such as Lloyds Banking Group (-0.91%) and HSBC Holdings (-0.84%) weighed on the financial sector. * Healthcare stocks also underperformed, with pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline (-1.34%) and AstraZeneca (-1.01%) posting significant losses. However, the decline was somewhat offset by gains in the mining and consumer goods sectors. * Miners Rio Tinto (+1.98%) and Glencore (+1.45%) benefited from rising commodity prices. * Consumer goods giant Unilever (+0.89%) extended its gains from the previous session, supported by strong demand for its products. Overall, the FTSE 100 Index ended the day with a modest loss, reflecting concerns over the economic outlook and the ongoing impact of the energy crisis on corporate earnings.U.K. Stocks Lower on Monday
U.K. Stocks Lower on Monday
U.K. stocks closed lower on Monday, weighed down by losses in the financial, industrial, and consumer goods sectors. * The FTSE 100 index fell 0.16% at the close.
Top and Bottom Performers
Best Performers:
* M&G plc (LON: MNG): Rose 2.37% to 8:00 PM. * Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (LON: RR.): Gained 1.77% to 465.00. * BP PLC (LON: BP.): Advanced 1.76% to 470.85.
Worst Performers:
* Rentokil Initial PLC (LON: RTO): Fell 2.87% to 409.30. * Diploma PLC (LON: DPLM): Declined 2.85% to 4.00. * Admiral Group PLC (LON: ADM): Lost 2.67% to 2.00.
Market Activity
* Declining stocks outnumbered advancing stocks by 1,175 to 661. * 675 stocks closed unchanged. * Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC hit a five-year high, rising 1.77%.
Other Markets
* Gold futures rose 0.05% to $2.00 an ounce. * Crude oil futures gained 2.42% to $77.36 a barrel. * Brent crude futures increased 2.15% to $81.33 a barrel.
Currencies and Index
* GBP/USD: Rose 0.10% to 1.27. * EUR/GBP: Climbed 0.22% to 0.84. * Dollar futures index: Up 0.07% to 104.78.Stocks ended the session lower on Tuesday, with the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 Index down 0.16% by Investing.com. Losses were broad-based, with nine of the 10 sectors in the index finishing in the red. Energy stocks led the decliners, falling 1.2%. Healthcare and financial stocks also posted losses. On the upside, telecom stocks bucked the trend, rising 0.5%. Consumer goods stocks also gained ground. Among individual stocks, BP (LON:BP.) fell 2.2% after the oil major reported a decline in quarterly profit. Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) lost 1.5% after the mining company announced plans to cut jobs. On the other hand, AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) gained 1.2% after the drugmaker reported positive results from a clinical trial. Unilever (LON:ULVR) rose 0.5% after the consumer goods company announced a share buyback program. Overall, the FTSE 100 Index closed at 7,547.47, down 11.86 points, or 0.16%, on the day.
