Daily News – 20 February 2018
Investment Market Update
Asia
Asian stocks were mixed, as investors await further details from President Donald Trump on his economic policies, including tax reforms.
US
US stocks rose to all-time highs after a report on deal activity between T-Mobile Inc. and SoftBank Group Corp. and a speech by President Donald Trump at a Boeing Co. factory in South Carolina.
UK
A surge in Unilever shares pushed the FTSE 100 higher, after it emerged it had received and rejected a takeover bid from US food giant Kraft Heinz. Unilever shares finished more than 13% higher, and that helped push the benchmark FTSE 100 past the post with a 22-point gain to 7,299.96.
Headlines
Kraft Heinz says it has dropped its plan to buy Anglo-Dutch rival Unilever. Marmite-maker Unilever rejected the US food giant’s bid, saying it saw “no merit, either financial or strategic” in Kraft’s offer, worth about £115bn. The deal would have been one of the biggest in corporate history, combining dozens of household names.
Online retail giant Amazon has said it will create 5,000 new full-time jobs in the UK this year. The recruitment will take Amazon’s workforce in the UK to more than 24,000.
Market data
| Price | 1d | YTD | 2016 | |
| UK (£) | ||||
| FTSE 100 | 7,299.96 | 0.3% | 2.2% | 14.4% |
| FTSE 250 | 18,707.49 | 0.0% | 3.5% | 3.7% |
| FTSE All Share | 3,968.78 | 0.2% | 2.5% | 12.5% |
| FTSE Small Cap | 5,347.00 | -0.1% | 4.0% | 11.0% |
| Europe (€) | ||||
| Euro Stoxx 600 | 370.22 | 0.0% | 2.4% | -1.2% |
| DAX 30 | 11,757.02 | 0.0% | 2.4% | 7.0% |
| CAC 40 | 4,867.58 | -0.7% | 0.1% | 4.9% |
| US (US$) | ||||
| S&P 500 | 2,351.16 | 0.2% | 5.0% | 9.5% |
| Dow Jones Ind | 20,624.05 | 0.0% | 4.4% | 13.4% |
| NASDAQ | 5,838.58 | 0.4% | 8.5% | 7.5% |
| Asia | ||||
| Hang Seng | 24,188.10 | 0.6% | 9.9% | 0.4% |
| Nikkei 225 | 19,251.08 | 0.1% | 0.7% | 1.8% |
| Australia 200 | 5,795.09 | -0.2% | 2.3% | 7.0% |
| MSCI AC Asia Pacific | 145.01 | -0.2% | 7.4% | 2.3% |
| World (US$) | ||||
| MSCI World (Developed) | 1,836.50 | 0.0% | 4.9% | 5.3% |
| MSCI AC World (Dev & Em) | 444.17 | -0.1% | 5.3% | 5.6% |
| MSCI Emerging Markets | 939.03 | -0.7% | 8.9% | 8.6% |
| MSCI AC World Value | 201.88 | -0.3% | 3.9% | 9.5% |
| MSCI AC World Growth | 230.32 | 0.2% | 6.8% | 1.8% |
| Fixed Income | ||||
| FTSE Gilts All Stocks | 3,516.55 | 0.4% | -0.2% | 8.5% |
| FTSE Index Linked All Stocks | 635.46 | 0.1% | -0.2% | 21.2% |
| ML Sterling Corporate Bonds | 382.52 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 10.7% |
| ML Global High Yield Bonds | 350.57 | -0.1% | 2.4% | 15.0% |
| Commodities (US$) | ||||
| Brent Crude Oil | 55.81 | 0.3% | -2.9% | 23.4% |
| Gold | 1,238.68 | 0.0% | 7.4% | 8.6% |
| UK Sectors | ||||
| Basic Materials | 5,694.12 | -1.1% | 12.7% | 93.9% |
| Consumer Goods and Services | 21,219.49 | 2.7% | 7.8% | 9.6% |
| Financials | 5,003.22 | -0.2% | 4.7% | 8.6% |
| Health Care | 10,271.48 | 1.3% | 4.0% | 5.8% |
| Industrials | 3,968.78 | 0.2% | 2.5% | 15.4% |
| Oil & Gas | 7,800.30 | -1.2% | -8.7% | 54.2% |
| Technology | 2,108.39 | 0.0% | 5.3% | 33.4% |
| Telecommunications | 3,175.34 | 0.1% | -6.0% | -14.7% |
| Utilities | 8,663.21 | -0.1% | 0.6% | 2.5% |
| Currencies | ||||
| $ per £ | 1.24 | 0.2% | 0.8% | -16.3% |
| € per £ | 1.17 | 0.1% | -0.2% | -15.7% |
| ¥ per £ | 140.70 | 0.5% | -2.6% | -22.7% |
| Indicators | ||||
| VIX Index (Volatility) | 11.49 | -2.3% | -18.2% | -22.9% |
| Baltic Dry Index | 741.00 | 4.4% | -22.9% | 101.1% |