Markets: retailers give FTSE 100 a boost

  • FTSE 100 up 2.6% to 6,061
  • Gold down 1.1% to $1,115.07
  • £/$ – 1.5128

The FTSE 100 bounced back yesterday, boosted by retailers and mining giant Glencore. The index climbed 2.6% to close at 6,061.

Sainsbury’s led the supermarkets up with a 13.4% rise, after sales beat market expectations. Tesco added 6.8%, and Morrisons was 6.3% higher. The day’s highest climber was embattled commodities giant Glencore, which rose 14.1%.

In Europe’s markets yesterday, the Paris CAC 40 gained 2.6% to 4,455, and the German Xetra Dax was 2.2% higher at 9,660.

In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.5% to 16,284, the S&P 500 added 1.9% to 1,920, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 2.3% to 4,620.

Overnight in Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 1.9% to 17,722, and the broader Topix was 2.2% higher at 1,442. China’s markets were closed for a public holiday.

Brent spot was trading at $48.92 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $45.81. Spot gold was trading at $1,114 an ounce, silver was at $14.58 and platinum was at $915.

In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.5127 and against the euro at 1.3574. The dollar was trading at 0.8973 against the euro and 120.20 against the Japanese yen.

And in the UK, the government says work is to restart on electrifying the Midland Mainline and Trans-Pennine railway lines, after work was stopped three months ago. The project is part of a £38.5bn upgrade, and is expected to take eight years to complete.


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