U.K. equities finished the session in negative territory on Thursday, with the United Kingdom 100 down 1.05% at the close in London as sector weakness in Industrial Metals & Mining, Mining and Banking pressured the market.
Market movers
The leading gainers on the United Kingdom 100 were:
- London Stock Exchange Group PLC (LON:LSEG) - up 5.80% or 416.00 points to close at 7,586.00.
- GSK plc (LON:GSK) - added 4.81% or 100.00 points to finish at 2,182.34, a move that pushed the stock to five-year highs.
- Sage Group PLC (LON:SGE) - rose 3.05% or 25.80 points to end the day at 871.20.
The session’s heaviest decliners included:
- Glencore PLC (LON:GLEN) - slipped 7.03% or 35.95 points to 475.25 at the close.
- NatWest Group PLC (LON:NWG) - down 6.02% or 41.60 points to finish at 650.00.
- Fresnillo PLC (LON:FRES) - fell 5.83% or 220.00 points to 3,556.00.
Market breadth in London showed more falling issues than rising ones: 1,114 shares declined, 708 advanced and 489 were unchanged.
Commodities and FX
Metal and energy prices moved lower alongside equities. April gold futures were down 1.15% or 56.79 to trade at $4,894.01 a troy ounce. In oil markets, crude for March delivery fell 2.56% or $1.67 to $63.47 a barrel, while the April Brent contract declined 2.59% or $1.80 to $67.66 a barrel.
Currency markets reflected the risk-off tone. GBP/USD slipped 0.88% to 1.35, and EUR/GBP rose 0.79% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures was higher by 0.18% at 97.66.
Context and implications
The session was characterized by pronounced weakness in mining and banking names that contributed to the headline index’s decline. At the same time, select large-cap stocks rallied, with GSK reaching a five-year peak. Commodities and currency moves were consistent with the broader retreat in risk assets.