Daily News – 1 March 2018
Investment Market Update
ASIA
Asian stocks fell for a third day, as the dollar rose ahead of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s second congressional appearance this week later today.
US
US stocks closed lower, ending the negative month of February on a down note as concerns over inflation and interest rates continued to drive trading.
UK
UK stocks fell, with ITV, Taylor Wimpey and miners weighing on the large cap index, while the pound fell on Brexit uncertainty after the the release of the EU’s draft withdrawal treaty.
Headlines
Theresa May will meet top EU official Donald Tusk on Thursday, 24 hours before a major speech on British relations with the bloc after Brexit. Her talks with the European Council president come amid tensions over the EU’s draft withdrawal treaty.
Spotify, the world’s biggest music streaming service, has filed paperwork to start trading its shares publicly on the New York Stock Exchange. The firm said it expects shares to sell at prices that could value the business at more than $23bn (£16.7bn).
Market data
| Price | 1d | YTD | 2017 | |
| UK (£) | ||||
| FTSE 100 | 7,231.91 | -0.7% | -5.9% | 7.6% |
| FTSE 250 | 19,687.27 | -0.9% | -5.0% | 14.7% |
| FTSE All Share | 3,981.61 | -0.7% | -5.7% | 9.0% |
| FTSE Small Cap | 5,704.23 | -0.9% | -3.5% | 14.9% |
| Europe (€) | ||||
| Euro Stoxx 600 | 379.63 | -0.7% | -2.5% | 7.7% |
| DAX 30 | 12,435.85 | -0.4% | -3.7% | 12.5% |
| CAC 40 | 5,320.49 | -0.4% | 0.1% | 9.3% |
| US (US$) | ||||
| S&P 500 | 2,713.83 | -1.1% | 1.5% | 19.4% |
| Dow Jones Ind | 25,029.20 | -1.5% | 1.3% | 25.1% |
| NASDAQ | 7,273.01 | -0.8% | 5.4% | 28.2% |
| Asia | ||||
| Hang Seng | 30,849.42 | 0.0% | 3.1% | 38.5% |
| Nikkei 225 | 21,724.47 | -1.6% | -4.6% | 19.1% |
| Australia 200 | 5,973.34 | -0.7% | -1.5% | 7.0% |
| MSCI AC Asia Pacific | 177.36 | -0.9% | 2.0% | 28.7% |
| World (US$) | ||||
| MSCI World (Developed) | 2,117.99 | -1.1% | 0.7% | 20.1% |
| MSCI AC World (Dev & Em) | 518.08 | -1.1% | 1.0% | 21.6% |
| MSCI Emerging Markets | 1,195.19 | -1.4% | 3.2% | 34.2% |
| MSCI AC World Value | 222.27 | -1.2% | -0.8% | 15.2% |
| MSCI AC World Growth | 284.33 | -1.0% | 2.7% | 28.3% |
| Fixed Income | ||||
| FTSE Gilts All Stocks | 3,526.15 | 0.5% | -1.8% | 3.0% |
| FTSE Index Linked All Stocks | 632.30 | 0.8% | -2.4% | 2.3% |
| ML Sterling Corporate Bonds | 393.37 | 0.3% | -1.9% | 5.7% |
| ML Global High Yield Bonds | 377.70 | -0.1% | 0.1% | 9.7% |
| Commodities (US$) | ||||
| Brent Crude Oil | 64.73 | -2.7% | -2.1% | 14.5% |
| Gold | 1,319.31 | 0.3% | 1.0% | 11.8% |
| UK Sectors | ||||
| Basic Materials | 6,261.27 | -2.4% | -0.9% | 25.0% |
| Consumer Goods and Services | 19,708.21 | -1.2% | -11.9% | 13.6% |
| Financials | 5,257.46 | -0.6% | -2.9% | 13.3% |
| Health Care | 8,877.55 | 0.0% | -6.7% | -3.7% |
| Industrials | 3,981.61 | -0.7% | -5.7% | 9.0% |
| Oil & Gas | 8,337.06 | -0.2% | -8.0% | 6.0% |
| Technology | 2,059.35 | -0.2% | -10.5% | 23.5% |
| Telecommunications | 2,957.92 | -0.7% | -12.6% | 0.1% |
| Utilities | 6,419.74 | -1.6% | -12.5% | -14.8% |
| Currencies | ||||
| $ per £ | 1.39 | 1.0% | 3.0% | 9.5% |
| € per £ | 1.14 | 0.7% | 1.0% | -4.0% |
| ¥ per £ | 149.52 | 1.6% | -1.8% | 5.3% |
| Indicators | ||||
| VIX Index (Volatility) | 19.85 | 6.8% | 79.8% | -21.4% |
| Baltic Dry Index | 1,192.00 | 0.3% | -12.7% | 42.1% |