Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

FTSE 100 movers: NatWest, Anglo up; Convatec falls on Peel Hunt downgrade

(Sharecast News) - FTSE 100 (UKX) 8,132.15 0.66% Decent gains in the banking sector were providing a lift to UK equity markets on Friday following better-than-expected results from NatWest, sending the FTSE 100 to yet another all-time high.

Stocks in the heavyweight mining sector were also boosting the benchmark index as commodity prices rose.

NatWest posted a less-than-expected 27% fall in first-quarter earnings, with pre-tax operating profits falling to £1.3bn from £1.8bn a year earlier. Analysts were forecasting a figure closer to £1.2bn. "NatWest Group has delivered a strong set of results for the first quarter - with an operating profit of £1.3 billion - as we remain focused on the priorities we set out in February, which will help us shape the future of this bank," said chief executive Paul Thwaite.

Lloyds, Standard Chartered and HSBC were also in demand, while Barclays was flat.

Mining stocks were mostly higher as iron ore, copper, silver and gold prices rose, with Rio Tinto, Glencore and Antofagasta in positive territory.

Anglo American gained again after a 16% surge the previous day, after rejecting an "opportunistic" £31bn bid from rival miner BHP, saying it significantly undervalued the company. "The BHP proposal is opportunistic and fails to value Anglo American's prospects, while significantly diluting the relative value upside participation of Anglo American's shareholders relative to BHP's shareholders," Anglo said in a statement, adding that the proposed structure was also "highly unattractive".

Convatec shares fell after Peel Hunt downgraded shares in the medical products company to 'reduce' from 'add' and cut the target price to 225p from 245p as the broker said it saw "turmoil" in the wound care market.

Market Movers

FTSE 100 - Risers

NATWEST GROUP (NWG) 308.00p 6.28% Ashtead Group (AHT) 6,030.00p 4.69% Anglo American (AAL) 2,656.00p 3.75% Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) 2,048.00p 3.70% RS Group (RS1) 732.50p 3.46% Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 1,917.00p 3.40% St James's Place (STJ) 433.80p 3.04% Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 417.80p 2.98% Persimmon (PSN) 1,319.50p 2.88% Centrica (CNA) 134.75p 2.55%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Convatec Group (CTEC) 262.20p -4.86% Entain (ENT) 785.20p -2.97% Beazley (BEZ) 641.00p -2.66% Ocado Group (OCDO) 354.10p -2.26% Associated British Foods (ABF) 2,637.00p -1.82% AstraZeneca (AZN) 11,926.00p -0.83% BP (BP.) 523.20p -0.59% Tesco (TSCO) 288.40p -0.48% Admiral Group (ADM) 2,680.00p -0.45% Imperial Brands (IMB) 1,822.50p -0.27%

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

FTSE 100 movers: Frasers jumps; utilities give back gains
(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was down 1.2% at 8,011.35 in afternoon trade on Friday.
FTSE 250 movers: Serco rallies on update; US-exposed stocks hit by hawkish Fed
(Sharecast News) - FTSE 250 (MCX) 20,368.09 -1.14%
FTSE 100 movers: Water companies rally; ICG in the red
(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was down 1.3% at 8,089.42 in afternoon trade on Thursday.
FTSE 100 movers: IAG flies higher on broker note; National Grid falls
(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was flat at 8,193.76 in afternoon trade on Wednesday.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.