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LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Stocks up but Unilever food deal fails to impress
- FTSE 100 closed up 48.49 points (0.5%) at 10,176.45, with FTSE 250 and AIM All-Share also gaining.
- US President Donald Trump prioritizes diplomatic efforts over military escalation in Iran, easing oil prices.
- Brent oil traded lower at USD107.38 per barrel, down from USD112.46.
- European equities rose, with CAC 40 up 0.6% and DAX 40 up 0.5%; US stocks also higher.
- Eurozone inflation surged to 2.5% in March due to rising energy prices, highest since January 2025.
- Unilever shares fell 7.3% after announcing a USD20 billion merger of its Foods business with McCormick & Co.
- Miners supported FTSE 100 gains, with gold, silver, and copper prices rising.
- Raspberry Pi surged 47% after strong full-year results, while Ashmore rose 6.7% on a strategic partnership with Japan Post Insurance.
- Future plunged 24% due to negative impacts from shifts in Google search audience.
- Wednesday's calendar includes manufacturing PMI reports, ADP job figures, and retail sales data.
LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: Stocks and gold up, Raspberry Pi hikes FTSE 250
- Stock prices in London higher at midday on Tuesday amid ongoing US-Israel-Iran war and Trump's optimistic remarks.
- US strikes Isfahan, Iran; Tehran attacks Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Persian Gulf.
- Iran maintains control over Strait of Hormuz; Foreign Minister insists Tehran targets only US forces.
- US-Israeli airstrikes hit major Iranian pharmaceutical company, Tofigh Daru Research & Engineering Co.
- FTSE 100 up 0.3% at 10,162.71; FTSE 250 up 1.0% at 21,172.21.
- Gold miner Antofagasta leads FTSE 100, up 3.1%; Raspberry Pi tops FTSE 250 with 32% surge after strong earnings.
- AG Barr reports 18% rise in pretax profit; expects double-digit revenue growth in 2027.
- Ashmore up 5.4% after strategic partnership with Japan Post Insurance Co Ltd.
- Plexus Holdings drops 33% due to revenue warnings and project delays linked to the war.
- Poolbeg Pharma rises 11% after securing cancer immunotherapy patent in Australia.
- Eurozone CPI inflation accelerates to 2.5% in March; Germany's unemployment rate drops to 6.4%.
- Pound higher at USD1.3204; Brent oil down to USD107.69 per barrel.
- US stocks called higher; Dow Jones up 0.8%, S&P 500 and Nasdaq up 0.7%.
LONDON BROKER RATINGS: Barclays cuts JD Wetherspoon to 'underweight'
- Deutsche Bank Research raises Diageo to 'buy' (hold) - price target 1,650 (1,790) pence
- UBS cuts Burberry price target to 1,410 (1,570) pence - 'buy'
- Berenberg cuts Segro price target to 915 (1,067) pence - 'buy'
- Barclays cuts ICG target to 2,405 (2,910) pence - 'overweight'
- JPMorgan cuts Weir price target to 3,500 (3,800) pence - 'overweight'
- RBC starts Kier with 'sector perform' - price target 215 pence
- Peel Hunt raises Raspberry Pi to 'buy' (add) - price target 460p
- Barclays cuts JD Wetherspoon to 'underweight' (overweight) - price target 540 (825) pence
- Barclays raises Domino's Pizza to 'equal weight' (underweight) - price target 190 pence
- Jefferies cuts Everplay price target to 380 (440) pence - 'buy'
- Citigroup raises South32 price target to 280 (260) pence - 'buy'
LONDON MARKET OPEN: FTSE 100 opens higher as house price growth climbs
- London stock prices opened mostly higher on 31st Mar 2026, following the UK ONS economic growth report and amid "financial anxiety" for shoppers.
- UK GDP growth revised up to 1.4% in 2025, with business investment falling less than expected in Q4 2025.
- UK current account deficit widened to GBP18.4 billion in Q4 2025, lower than consensus expectations.
- AJ Bell's Danni Hewson noted weak Q4 2025 GDP growth (0.1%) and warned of recession risks due to the Iran war and global inflation.
- UK PM Keir Starmer to chair Cobra meeting on the economic impact of the Iran war.
- FTSE 100 opened up 0.1%, FTSE 250 up 0.4%, and AIM all-share down slightly.
- Retailers led gains on FTSE 100, with Tesco, Sainsbury's, Associated British Foods, and Marks & Spencer rising.
- UK house prices grew 2.2% annually in March, with monthly growth accelerating to 0.9%.
- UK grocery sales rose 4.4% in March, but inflation concerns persist due to the Middle East conflict.
- Rightmove and Barratt Redrow rose, while Rosebank slipped 1.0% despite plans to move to the London Main Market.
- Future plummeted 23% due to lower revenue expectations and audience shifts impacting advertising revenue.
- Defence firms mixed; Rolls-Royce down 0.5%, Babcock up 0.4%. Oil majors BP and Shell down 0.2%.
- Brent oil down to USD107.11/barrel, gold up to USD4,556.19/ounce.
- Antofagasta led FTSE 100 gains, up 3.4%. European equities mixed, with CAC 40 up 0.3% and DAX 40 down 0.2%.
- Pound strengthened against USD, softened against EUR. Asian markets mostly down, US markets ended mixed on Monday.
- Upcoming economic data includes eurozone consumer inflation, Canada's GDP, and the US house price index.
LONDON MARKET EARLY CALL: FTSE 100 to tick up ahead of UK GDP reading
- London stocks expected to open slightly higher on Tuesday.
- UK shop price inflation rose to 1.2% in March, up from 1.1% in February, driven by Middle East conflict costs.
- US President Donald Trump threatened Iran with destruction of energy resources and infrastructure if a deal is not reached soon.
- UK FCA confirmed a £7.5 billion motor finance redress scheme, with total costs estimated at £9.1 billion.
- Lloyds Banking Group and Close Brothers Group among lenders affected by the scheme.
- FTSE 100 futures indicate a 3.5-point rise to 10,131.46.
- Sterling strengthened against the USD but weakened against the EUR.
- French President Macron visits Japan, with focus shifted to Middle East war discussions.
- Wall Street ended mixed on Monday; Asian markets mostly down on Tuesday.
- Gold prices rose to $4,580.19/ounce; Brent oil fell to $106.98/barrel.
- Corporate results expected from Raspberry Pi, AG Barr, and others; economic data includes UK GDP and German retail sales.
All Market News Today 678 headlines
CPI
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SPI
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BHMG
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