LONDON MARKET EARLY CALL: Strong China Data Unable To Lift Stocks

(Alliance News) - Stocks in London are seen starting the new week on the back foot despite some ...

Alliance News 30 November, 2020 | 7:02AM
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(Alliance News) - Stocks in London are seen starting the new week on the back foot despite some better-than-expected Chinese economic data.

IG says futures indicate the FTSE 100 index of large-caps to open down 33.88 points, or 0.5%, at 6,333.70 on Monday. The FTSE 100 closed up 4.65 points, or 0.1%, at 6,367.58 on Friday.

In Tokyo on Monday, the Nikkei 225 index closed up 0.8%. In China, the Shanghai Composite is down 0.4%, while the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong is down 1.7%.  

China's factory activity grew at its fastest pace in over three years in November, official data showed overnight, as the world's second-largest economy continued its recovery from the coronavirus.

The purchasing managers' index, a key gauge of manufacturing activity in China, has largely rebounded following strict measures to curb the virus early in the year, coming in at 52.1 this month. This was higher than October's reading of 51.4, and remains above the 50-point mark separating growth from contraction. Consensus, according to FXStreet, had penciled in a reading of 51.5.

The latest figures also bring the PMI data back to levels seen in September 2017.

The non-manufacturing PMI came in at 56.4 in November, slightly higher than the month before, signalling further recovery in the services sector.

Axi's Stephen Innes said the Chinese data is "not necessarily a booster of risk given that so much vaccine news is in the market bullish purview."

Against the yen, the dollar edged down to JPY103.93 versus JPY103.99.

Sterling was quoted at USD1.3345 early Monday, firm against USD1.3331 at the London equities close on Friday. The euro traded at USD1.1970 early Monday, higher than USD1.1957 late Friday.

Crunch talks aimed at securing a post-Brexit trade deal between the EU and UK will resume on Monday in what could be the final week of discussions.

The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier and his counterpart David Frost will meet again in London as they seek to hammer out an agreement.

With just a month to go until the end of the transition period, talks remain stuck on fishing rights – described by Dominic Raab as an "outstanding major bone of contention". But the UK foreign secretary said there was "a deal to be done" after the EU showed progress on the so-called level playing field aimed at preventing unfair competition.

Without a deal, the UK will leave the single market and customs union on December 31, and trade under World Trade Organisation terms.

Wall Street ended Friday's half-session in the green, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending up 0.1%, the S&P 500 up 0.2% and Nasdaq Composite closing 0.9% higher.

Gold was quoted at USD1,773.16 an ounce early Monday, lower than USD1,786.40 on Friday. Brent oil was trading at USD47.11 a barrel, down from USD48.05 late Friday.

"With no definitive pre OPEC+ meeting guidance to pilot markets, caution is warranted ahead of the meeting's conclusion. The recent oil-price rally may have reduced OPEC's sense of urgency. With signs of disharmony within the group, there is a possibility the OPEC+ meeting will fall short of those expectations," sais Innes at Axi.

The OPEC+ club of oil producers meets this week.

In Monday's economic calendar, there is German inflation at 1300 GMT.

The UK corporate calendar on Monday has half-year results from electronic parts supplier discoverIE Group, carpet designer Victoria, venture capital firm Draper Esprit, and social housing investor Civitas Social Housing.

By Lucy Heming; lucyheming@alliancenews.com

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