UK stocks tumbled on Monday as the number of virus cases in the UK continued to rise and fears grew of a second nationwide lockdown.   At the close the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down over 200 points or 3.4%, its biggest daily loss since July, to 5,804 points. International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) was the biggest FTSE faller, dropping 12% to 97p on fears of new travel ...

UK stocks fell sharply on Monday as the number of virus cases in the UK continued to rise and fears grew of a second nationwide lockdown. At midday the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down over 200 points or 3.4% to 5,801. International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) was the biggest FTSE faller, dropping 13% to 96p on fears of new travel restrictions, while low-cost rival EasyJet (EZJ) shed 8% to ...

UK pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZN) announced two EU approvals for cancer drug Lynparza and strong efficacy data for lung cancer drug Tagrisso on Monday, but with the general market down over 3%, investors were in no mood to cheer the news with the shares falling 1% to £86.6. LYNPARZA Cancer drug Lynparza forms part of a strategic oncology collaboration between AstraZenca and US ...

The FTSE 100 plummeted well below 6,000 in early trading on Monday as investors became increasingly concerned about the rising possibility of a second national lockdown. The Government’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty is set to warn later this morning that the UK is at a ‘critical point’ in the coronavirus pandemic and that the country is currently ‘heading in the wrong ...

Some relief for income investors came on Friday when The City of London Investment Trust (CTY) raised its dividend by 2.2% to 19 pence per share for the year ended 30 June 2020, the 55th consecutive year of increases, by dipping into its substantial revenue reserves. The shares were unchanged at 322p. Chairman Philip Remnant commented, ‘the large fall in dividends paid has taken down the true ...

UK shares tracked declines on Asian stock markets in early trade on Thursday as the lack of new stimulus measures by the US Federal Reserve left investors disappointed ahead of a Bank of England policy meeting. The benchmark FTSE 100 and the mid-cap FTSE 250 were both sharply lower in opening deals with banks, miners and automakers leading the declines. The FTSE 100 was off by around ...

UK stocks closed slightly lower on Monday, despite positive Covid-19 vaccine news over the weekend from AstraZeneca (AZN) and Pfizer. At 16:30, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 0.1%, at 6,032. Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said on Sunday that the US company's Covid-19 vaccine could be distributed to Americans before the end of the year. AstraZeneca, meanwhile, announced it had ...

UK stocks drifted lower during the morning session on Monday, despite positive Covid-19 vaccine news over the weekend from AstraZeneca (AZN) and Pfizer. At midday the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 0.21%, at 6,027. Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said on Sunday that the US company's Covid-19 vaccine could be distributed to Americans before the end of the year. Meanwhile ...

UK stocks started the week strongly after further signs of progress towards a coronavirus vaccine. Pharma giant AstraZeneca (AZN) has resumed phase three of its vaccine trial, while investor sentiment was also boosted by comments from Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla, who believes a vaccine could be ready for approval as soon as next month, and for distribution by the end of the year. In ...

London’s FTSE 100 closed in positive territory on Wednesday after investors largely shrugged off news that a leading Covid-19 vaccine trial was put on hold because a recipient developed a serious unexplained illness. Sentiment was buoyed by some more positive earnings updates and dividend revivals, allowing investors to put worries over Brexit and the impact of the UK’s new restrictions on ...

London’s FTSE 100 traded higher on Wednesday after investors largely shrugged off news that a leading Covid-19 vaccine trial was put on hold because a recipient developed a serious unexplained illness. Sentiment was buoyed by some more positive earnings updates and dividend revivals, while a weaker pound helped exporters. By 12.50, the blue chip benchmark index was up 56.77 points, or ...

Initially, news that AstraZeneca (AZN) had paused trials of its prospective Covid-19 vaccine saw the drug maker's shares fall materially. However, the market appeared to gain some perspective as the morning progressed with the stock down just 0.4% to £83.12 by 9.30am having traded as low as £80.96 early on. Phase III trials of the vaccine being developed by Astra and Oxford University were ...

The FTSE 100 soared in early trading on Wednesday despite the overnight sell-off in the US, as more upbeat company updates boosted investor sentiment. The UK’s benchmark index defied expectations as it was actually seen opening lower following yesterday’s big tech sell-off in the US, which dragged all three major stock markets – the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq – more than ...

UK stocks finished in negative territory on Tuesday, despite an advance for stocks on Wall Street, as a stronger pound weighed on overseas earners, offsetting some encouraging Chinese and UK manufacturing data. The blue chip benchmark closed down 101.52 points, or 1.7% lower, at 5,862.05, as trading resumed following Monday’s bank holiday. Over-50s insurance and travel services provider ...

UK stocks edged lower on Tuesday after a stronger pound weighed on exporters, offsetting some positive manufacturing data from China, and as financial stocks weighed on the FTSE 100 with investors fretting over the impact of the pandemic and low interest rates on the sector. At 11.25, the blue chip benchmark was down 76.3 points, or 1.28%, at 5,887.27, as trading resumed following Monday’s ...

The FTSE 100 slumped in early morning trade as a stronger pound weighed on the index, offsetting better than expected manufacturing data from China. A number of major economies are reporting manufacturing PMIs today, with traders looking for any sign of improving sentiment, particularly in the UK where the sector has taken a hammering not only from lockdowns but also a major slump in the ...

For months investors have been lapping-up all positive vaccine and Covid-19 treatment news as if their lives depended on it. Another dose was injected last weekend when the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA), the body that independently approves new drugs, cleared the use of convalescent plasma in hospital patients suffering from Covid-19. This involves injecting antibodies from patients ...

After rallying over 1% this morning, the FTSE 100 swung the other way on Tuesday afternoon to close deeply in the red, as a surging pound and plummeting US consumer confidence dragged the index down. The UK’s benchmark index closed 1.11% lower to 6,037.01, with the exporter-heavy index – full of companies who report in US dollars – hit by the pound’s rise against the dollar. Also ...

The FTSE 100 gave back most of its early gains on Tuesday as enthusiasm faded and investors turn their attention to Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell's speech on Thursday. At the annual Jackson Hole central banking conference, Powell is expected to signal a move towards average inflation targets, giving the bank more policy flexibility. At lunchtime the FTSE 100 was 0.2% higher at 6,118 ...

The FTSE 100 opened 1% higher on Tuesday alongside European stocks as the US and China signalled progress on the first phase of their trade deal. Vaccine hopes also played a part with US firm Moderna saying it is close to agreeing to supply the European Union with a least 80 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate. In Asian trading the MSCI Asia Pacific index edged up 0.4%, Japan’s ...