Investment accounts
Adult accounts
Child accounts
Choosing Fidelity
Choosing Fidelity
Why invest with us Current offers Fees and charges Open an account Transfer investments
Financial advice & support
Fidelity’s Services
Fidelity’s Services
Financial advice Retirement Wealth Management Investor Centre (London) Bereavement
Guidance and tools
Guidance and tools
Choosing investments Choosing accounts ISA calculator Retirement calculators
Share dealing
Choose your shares
Tools and information
Tools and information
Share prices and markets Chart and compare shares Stock market news Shareholder perks
Pensions & retirement
Pensions, tax & tools
Saving for retirement
Approaching / In retirement
Approaching / In retirement
Speak to a specialist Creating a retirement plan Taking tax-free cash Pension drawdown Annuities Investing in retirement Investment Pathways
London pre-open: Stocks to edge down as inflation holds steady
(Sharecast News) - London stocks were set to edge down at the open on Wednesday following a downbeat session on Wall Street, as data showed that UK inflation held steady in January. The FTSE 100 was called to open around 10 points lower.
Figures released earlier by the Office for National Statistics showed that the consumer price index was unchanged on December at 4%, versus expectations for it to tick up to 4.2%.
The data takes the pressure off the Bank of England to keep interest rates higher for longer.
The largest upward contribution to the monthly change in both CPIH and CPI annual rates came from housing and household services, mainly higher gas and electricity charges, the ONS said. The largest downward contribution came from furniture and household goods, and food and non-alcoholic beverages.
In corporate news, furniture and homewares chain Dunelm lifted its dividend and declared a special payout after a rise in interim profits and sales.
The dividend was lifted 7% to 16p a share. Shareholders will also receive a special 35p-a-share payout as pre-tax profit for the six months to December 30 rose 4.8% to £123m and sales increased 4.5% to £872.5m.
Elsewhere, United Utilities reported a strong operating performance in a trading update, with no significant changes to its financial guidance for the 2024 financial year since its interim results despite weather-related challenges.
The water company said annual rainfall in 2023 was exceptionally high across the north west of England, adversely impacting its 2023-2024 outcome delivery incentive (ODI) performance by around £25m. Net ODI outperformance was expected to be around £40m for 2023-2024.
Share this article
Related Sharecast Articles
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.
Policies and important information
Accessibility | Conflicts of interest statement | Consumer Duty Target Market | Consumer Duty Value Assessment Statement | Cookie policy | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion | Doing Business with Fidelity | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Reports | Investing in Fidelity funds | Legal information | Modern slavery | Mutual respect policy | Privacy statement | Remuneration policy | Staying secure | Statutory and Regulatory disclosures | Whistleblowing policy
Please remember that past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance, the performance of investments is not guaranteed, and the value of your investments can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. When investments have particular tax features, these will depend on your personal circumstances and tax rules may change in the future. This website does not contain any personal recommendations for a particular course of action, service or product. You should regularly review your investment objectives and choices and, if you are unsure whether an investment is suitable for you, you should contact an authorised financial adviser. Before opening an account, please read the ‘Doing Business with Fidelity’ document which incorporates our client terms. Prior to investing into a fund, please read the relevant key information document which contains important information about the fund.
This website is issued by Financial Administration Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (FCA Register number 122169) and registered in England and Wales under company number 1629709 whose registered address is Beech Gate, Millfield Lane, Lower Kingswood, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 6RP.