This report is not a personal recommendation and does not take into account your personal circumstances or appetite for risk.
| Yesterday’s UK 100 Leaders | Price (p) | % Chg |
| Legal & General Group PLC | 235.1 | 5.5% |
| International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. | 275.6 | 4.2% |
| Vistry Group PLC | 651.5 | 3.7% |
| Beazley PLC | 805.5 | 2.2% |
| Persimmon PLC | 1,273.5 | 2.2% |
| Yesterday’s UK 100 Laggards | Price (p) | % Chg |
| Astrazeneca PLC | 10478.0 | -2.9% |
| Anglo American PLC | 2502.5 | -2.7% |
| Smith (Ds) PLC | 574.5 | -1.8% |
| Smiths Group PLC | 1757.6 | -1.7% |
| National Grid PLC | 974.6 | -1.6% |
| Major World Indices | Price | % Chg | 1 Year |
| UK 100 INDEX | 8,336 | -0.3% | 11.0% |
| DOW JONES INDUS. AVG | 44,874 | 0.4% | 24.0% |
| DAX INDEX | 20,232 | 1.1% | 23.3% |
| NIKKEI 225 | 39,276 | 0.1% | 19.8% |
| S&P/ASX 200 INDEX | 8,463 | -0.4% | 19.8% |
| Commodities | Units | Price | % Chg |
| WTI Crude Oil (Nymex) | USD/bbl. | 68.68 | -1.80% |
| Brent Crude (ICE) | USD/bbl. | 72.49 | -1.53% |
| Gold Spot | USD/t oz. | 2,653 | 0.4% |
| Copper (Comex) | USd/lb. | 420 | -0.1% |
Click graph to enlarge
The UK 100 called to open -11 points at 8,324. The UK 100 is called lower again on Thursday, despite gains being made for US and European markets.
Yesterday on Wall Street, The S&P gained 0.61%, closing at 6,086.49, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 1.3% to 19,735.12. The Dow Jones advanced 308.51 points, or 0.69%, to 45,014.04. All three major averages hit all-time highs during the session and closed at records, with the 30-stock Dow ending above the 45,000 threshold for the first time.
AJ Bell reported a 29 per cent jump in profit before tax to £113.3m as it benefitted from a surge in activity on its platforms and new users.
DS Smith reported a 39% slump in half-year profit on Thursday that was in line with analysts’ estimates, dampened by weak packaging prices and higher input costs. The company, which has agreed to a $7.20 billion all-share takeover by U.S. rival International Paper, posted adjusted operating profit from continuing operations for the six months to Oct. 31 of 221 million pounds ($281.2 million), in line with a company-compiled average analysts’ estimates.
Frasers Group chief executive Michael Murray said weaker consumer confidence together with the impact of the Chancellor’s Budget has led it to target lower profit expectations. Group revenue was down by 8.3% to £2.54bn, for the six months to October 27, whileadjusted profits fell by 1.5% to £299.2m. Frasers said it now expected full-year profits tocome in at between £550-£600m – a downgrade on previous guidance of£575m-625m.
Vodafone’s UK merger with Three has been given the go-ahead by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA’s approval following an inquiry lasting 18 months is conditional on a legal binding commitment that the companies invest billions to roll out a combined 5G network across the UK.
Watches of Switzerland Group reported a promising 4% revenue growth in constant currency for H1 FY25, driven by strong demand in the UK and US, and bolstered by the acquisition of Roberto Coin. The company saw a significant 11% revenue boost in Q2, fueled by strategic stock increases and modest price hikes, alongside the launch of new showrooms and successful integration of Hodinkee. Despite a drop in adjusted EBIT and free cash flow, the company remains optimistic about its full-year outlook, supported by upcoming showroom openings and steady trading momentum.
Avivia Upgraded to Buy from Hold by Deutsche Bank (8 Buy/ 4 Hold/ 1 Sell)
Diageo Upgraded to Buy from Hold by Jefferies (10 Buy/ 7 Hold/ 5 Sell)
Intertek Upgraded to Overweight from Neutral by JP Morgan (10 Buy/ 6 Hold/ 2 Sell)
Legal & General Upgraded to Buy from Neutral by Goldman Sachs (7 Buy/ 7 Hold/ 1 Sell)
M&G Downgraded to Hold from Buy by Deutsche Bank (6 Buy/ 8 Hold/ 0 Sell)
Taylor Wimpey Downgraded to Neutral from Overweight by JP Morgan (13 Buy/ 5 Hold/ 0 Sell)
UK
AJ Bell
Balfour Beatty*
DS Smith
Watches of Switzerland Group
Frasers Group
US
Signet Jewelers
Cleanspark
DocuSign
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Lululemon Athletica
UiPath
UK
The Berkeley Group Holdings
US
None
German Factory Orders
OPEC Meeting
EU Retail Sales
US Initial Jobless Claims
BoE’s Greene speech
UK 100 companies going ex-dividend on 5th December 2024:
Next
Intermediate Capital Group
British Land Company
LondonMetric Property
UK 250 companies going ex-dividend on 5th December 2024:
Babcock International Group
CMC Markets
Foresight Environmental Infrastructure
Asia Dragon Trust
Caledonia Investments
Telecom Plus
Pets At Home Group
Johnson Matthey
Energean
For any help you may require placing trades or in terms of market information, put a call in to our trading floor – it’s all part of the service.
This research is produced by Accendo Markets Limited. Research produced and disseminated by Accendo Markets is classified as non-independent research, and is therefore a marketing communication. This investment research has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote its independence and it is not subject to the prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research. This research does not constitute a personal recommendation or offer to enter into a transaction or an investment, and is produced and distributed for information purposes only.
Accendo Markets considers opinions and information contained within the research to be valid when published, and gives no warranty as to the investments referred to in this material. The income from the investments referred to may go down as well as up, and investors may realise losses on investments. The past performance of a particular investment is not necessarily a guide to its future performance.