LONDON MARKET EARLY CALL: Higher call as lockdown restrictions ease

(Alliance News) - Stock prices in London are seen opening higher on Monday following a strong US ...

Alliance News 17 May, 2021 | 5:59AM
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(Alliance News) - Stock prices in London are seen opening higher on Monday following a strong US close on Friday, as the UK government's road map out of lockdown enters its next stage in England.

IG futures indicate the FTSE 100 index is to open 11.39 points higher at 7,055.00. The blue-chip index closed up 80.28 points, or 1.2%, at 7,043.61 Friday.

In the US on Friday, Wall Street ended sharply higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 1.1%, S&P 500 up 1.5% and Nasdaq Composite up 2.3%.

The Japanese Nikkei 225 index was down 0.8% on Monday. In China, the Shanghai Composite was up 0.9%, while the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong was up 0.6%. The S&P/ASX 200 in Sydney ended up 0.3%.

China's industrial output recorded strong growth in April after last year's pandemic-induced slump, official data showed, but retail sales picked up by less than expected amid uncertainty in the global economy.

The world's second-largest economy, where the coronavirus first surfaced in late 2019, was also the first to bounce back from strict virus lockdowns. It was a recovery led by factory activity, with Chinese firms producing everything from protective gear to electronics and other consumer goods desired by global consumers stuck at home and ordering online.

Industrial output rose 9.8% on-year last month, in line with expectations. Retail sales grew 18%, but missed expectations. In April, the urban unemployment rate fell slightly to 5.1%, the NBS added.

"Markets here in Europe are set to open flat to slightly higher on the back of last week's positive US finish. Markets in Asia have been mixed as coronavirus infection rates there have started to show signs of edging back up again," said CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson.

In early company news, Ryanair Holdings on Monday reported a loss in its most recently ended financial year but said it expects an improvement as coronavirus restrictions ease.

The Irish budget airline said it swung to a loss for the year to the end of March of EUR1.11 billion from EUR648.7 million profit recorded the year before.

Annual revenue fell 81% year-on-year to EUR1.64 billion from EUR8.49 billion, in line with the fall in traffic to just 27.5 million from 148.6 million the year prior. Load factor declined to 71% from 95% year-on-year.

The pound was quoted at USD1.4084 early Monday, flat from USD1.4088 at the London equities close Friday.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for a "heavy dose of caution" as indoor socialising and physical contact resumed against the backdrop of concerns over the Indian coronavirus variant.

The PM said "now everyone must play their part" as England pushed ahead with the third stage of the road map out of lockdown on Monday.

Pubs and restaurants will be able to welcome customers back indoors, visits to the homes of friends and family can resume and the foreign holiday ban has ended.

But the measures were eased as top scientists called for caution and warned of a "perilous moment", with the Indian variant feared to be as much as 50% more transmissible than the Kent strain.

Ministers are hoping surge testing and vaccines will allow a safe opening up of the nation, with jabs due to be extended to the over-35s this week.

But UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock did not rule out the possibility of imposing local lockdowns in areas such as Bolton to tackle the Indian variant, which he warned could "spread like wildfire".

The euro was priced at USD1.2130, down from USD1.2138. Against the yen, the dollar was trading at JPY109.33, lower from JPY109.40.

Brent oil was quoted at USD68.71 a barrel Monday morning, up from USD68.30 late Friday. Gold was trading at USD1,854.85 an ounce, higher than USD1,837.50.

The UK corporate on Monday has interim results from cables maker Diploma and from tenpin bowling operator Hollywood Bowl Group.

Ahead in the UK earnings calendar this week, there are annual results from telecommunications firm Vodafone and property company Land Securities Group on Tuesday, credit checking agency Experian on Wednesday, and from power line operator National Grid on Thursday.

The economic events calendar this week has UK unemployment data on Tuesday, US Federal Reserve meeting minutes on Wednesday, and a slew of PMI readings on Friday.

By Arvind Bhunjun; arvindbhunjun@alliancenews.com

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