London stocks closed lower on Friday, with weakness across several industrial and commodity-related sectors pushing the United Kingdom 100 down 0.44% at the settlement of trade.
Selling pressure was most notable in the Automobiles & Parts, Mining and Industrial Engineering segments, which collectively weighed on the broader market.
Top gainers
- Tesco PLC (LON:TSCO) led the upside, finishing up 2.82% or 13.40 points at 488.90.
- Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:HIK) rose 2.56% or 31.00 points to close at 1,240.00.
- Imperial Brands PLC (LON:IMB) advanced 2.30% or 72.00 points to end the session at 3,199.00.
Largest decliners
- Fresnillo PLC (LON:FRES) was the weakest performer, down 6.17% or 224.00 points to 3,406.00 at the close.
- Antofagasta PLC (LON:ANTO) slipped 5.53% or 205.00 points to finish at 3,503.00.
- Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (LON:RR) declined 5.30% or 68.00 points to 1,215.50.
Market breadth favored declines on the day: falling issues outnumbered advancing ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1,074 to 688, while 537 stocks finished unchanged.
Commodities and energy
In commodity markets, April delivery gold futures eased 1.43% or 73.36 to trade at $5,052.44 a troy ounce. Oil prices moved higher: crude oil for April delivery rose 1.01% or 0.97 to $96.70 a barrel, and the May Brent contract climbed 0.73% or 0.73 to $101.19 a barrel.
Currencies and US dollar
FX markets saw the pound weaken against the dollar, with GBP/USD down 0.78% at 1.32. EUR/GBP was unchanged at 0.86, with a 0.14% reading reported. The US Dollar Index Futures strengthened, rising 0.62% to 100.37.
Overall, the session was marked by sector-specific weakness that translated into negative performance for the broad index, while select consumer and pharmaceutical names provided pockets of support. Commodities and the US dollar showed clear directional moves that accompanied the equity market’s decline.