Housing stocks push FTSE 100 to a record close

Reuters

Housing stocks push FTSE 100 to a record close

15 mai 2024 à 8h31 GMT

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>UPDATE 2-Housing stocks push FTSE 100 to a record close</title></head><body>

For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock markets, click LIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window

U.S. CPI data softer than expected Experian jumps on upbeat revenue growth forecast

Burberry slides on reporting drop in operating profit

FTSE 100 up 0.2%; FTSE 250 adds 0.8%

Updated at 1616 GMT

By Pranav Kashyap, Purvi Agarwal and Sruthi Shankar

May 15 (Reuters) -Britain's FTSE 100 closed at an all-time high on Wednesday, lifted in part by housebuilder stocks buoyed by hopes of an interest rate cut, while Burberry's shares sank after it reported a sharp fall in quarterly sales.

The blue-chip .FTSE rose 0.2% to close at 8445.80 points. The index touched an intraday record of 8474.71 points earlier before paring some gains.

Wall Street's S&P 500 .SPX touched its life high after data showed U.S. consumer prices increased less than expected in April, boosting financial market expectations for a September interest rate cut.

"Today's data definitely proves we're back into the disinflation process. (It is) a sign of relief for markets and that's why we've seen that initial risk appetite," said Daniela Hathorn, senior market analyst at Capital.com.

The bets on monetary policy easing by the Federal Reserve and other major central banks hammered U.S. and UK bond yields, with the 10-year gilt yield GB10YT=RR falling to its lowest since April 10.

Traders priced in a 56% chance of a rate cut by the Bank of England in June, from 50% before the data.

The hope of falling rates boosted rate-sensitive UK equities including housing and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The FTSE 350 index of housebuilders .FTNMX402020 jumped 2.8% to a near-three month high, while REITs .FTNMX351020 surged to their highest since January.

"In the short term a lot of the good news for the index is now priced in, and a lot of the much-vaunted valuation discount has been cleared through the huge gains of recent week," Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, said about the recent record run in the FTSE 100.

A big drag on the day was Burberry BRBY.L, which slid 7.3% after the luxury group's fourth-quarter like-for-like sales slumped 12% and annual profits by dropped 34% amid a wider slowdown in the sector.

Compass Group CPG.L dropped 3.0% as the catering group expects volumes to moderate for the rest of the year.

Credit data firm Experian EXPN.L advanced 8.1% after it forecast annual organic revenue growth of between 6% and 8% for fiscal year 2025.

The FTSE 250 midcap index .FTMC climbed 0.8% to its highest level in more than two years.

Royal Mail's parent company International Distributions Services IDSI.L surged 16.0% after it said it was set to agree a 3.5 billion pound ($4.42 billion) takeover by Daniel Kretinsky if the Czech billionaire makes a formal offer.

Reporting by Pranav Kashyap, Purvi Agarwal and Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K and Alison Williams

For related prices, Reuters users may click on - *
UK stock report .L
FTSE index: 0#.FTS6
techMARK 100 index: .FTT1X FTSE futures: 0#FFI:
Gilt futures: 0#FLG: Smallcap index: .FTSC
FTSE 250 index: .FTMC FTSE 350 index: .FTLC
Market digest: .AD.L Top 10 by vol: .AV.L
Top price gainers: .NG.L Top % gainers: .PG.L
Top price losers: .NL.L Top % losers: .PL.L

* For related news, click on - *
UK hot stocks: HOT and GB Wall Street: .N
Gilts report: GB/ Euro bond report GVD/EUR
Pan European stock report: .EU
Tokyo stocks: .T HK stocks: .HK
Sterling report: GBP/ Dollar report: USD/

* For company prices, click on - *
Company directory: UKEQ By sector: FTAX

* For pan-European market data, click on - *
European Equities speed guide................ EUR/EQUITY
FTSE Eurotop 300 index........................... .FTEU3
DJ STOXX index................................... .STOXX
Top 10 STOXX sectors........................ .PGL.STOXXS
Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors................... .PGL.STOXXES
Top 10 Eurotop 300 sectors.................. .PGL.FTEU3S
Top 25 European pct gainers.................... .PG.PEUR
Top 25 European pct losers..................... .PL.PEUR

</body></html>