Daily News – 3 April 2018
Investment Market Update
Asia
Asian stocks slipped on Tuesday amid escalating trade tensions and concerns about tech firms, although regional index declines were modest compared with those of their Wall Street counterparts as investors focused on global growth prospects.
US
US stocks finished down on the first day of the quarter as deepening declines for technology companies and rising trade tension between the US and China unnerved investors.
UK
UK markets were closed on Monday for the long Easter holiday weekend.
Headlines
Conviviality, the owner of Bargain Booze, has announced plans to file for administration within two weeks. The firm also owns Wine Rack and supplies more than 25,000 restaurants, hotels and bars. Earlier this month it shocked investors with a profit warning and news of an unpaid £30m tax bill. It attempted to raise £125m to rescue the business, but this week said that effort had failed.
For the first time since records began, UK households are more likely to be borrowers than savers, according to official figures. Households became net borrowers last year for the first time since data began to be collected by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 1987. Figures also show that savings levels are at their lowest level since 1963. The trend illustrates the effect of budget pressures on families and low interest rates.
Market data
| Price | 1d | YTD | 2017 | |
| UK (£) | ||||
| FTSE 100 | 7,056.61 | 0.0% | -8.2% | 7.6% |
| FTSE 250 | 19,460.47 | 0.0% | -6.1% | 14.7% |
| FTSE All Share | 3,894.17 | 0.0% | -7.8% | 9.0% |
| FTSE Small Cap | 5,593.09 | 0.0% | -5.4% | 14.9% |
| Europe (€) | ||||
| Euro Stoxx 600 | 370.87 | 0.0% | -4.7% | 7.7% |
| DAX 30 | 12,096.73 | 0.0% | -6.4% | 12.5% |
| CAC 40 | 5,167.30 | 0.0% | -2.7% | 9.3% |
| US (US$) | ||||
| S&P 500 | 2,581.88 | -2.2% | -3.4% | 19.4% |
| Dow Jones Ind | 23,644.19 | -1.9% | -4.3% | 25.1% |
| NASDAQ | 6,870.12 | -2.7% | -0.5% | 28.2% |
| Asia | ||||
| Hang Seng | 29,917.10 | -0.6% | 0.0% | 38.5% |
| Nikkei 225 | 21,302.40 | -0.4% | -6.4% | 19.1% |
| Australia 200 | 5,751.90 | -0.1% | -5.2% | 7.0% |
| MSCI AC Asia Pacific | 172.50 | -0.2% | -0.8% | 28.7% |
| World (US$) | ||||
| MSCI World (Developed) | 2,038.54 | -1.4% | -3.1% | 20.1% |
| MSCI AC World (Dev & Em) | 499.65 | -1.2% | -2.6% | 21.6% |
| MSCI Emerging Markets | 1,169.43 | -0.1% | 0.9% | 34.2% |
| MSCI AC World Value | 214.29 | -1.2% | -4.3% | 15.2% |
| MSCI AC World Growth | 274.31 | -1.3% | -0.9% | 28.3% |
| Fixed Income | ||||
| FTSE Gilts All Stocks | 3,598.29 | 0.0% | 0.3% | 3.0% |
| FTSE Index Linked All Stocks | 647.58 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2.3% |
| ML Sterling Corporate Bonds | 395.34 | 0.0% | -1.4% | 5.7% |
| ML Global High Yield Bonds | 376.48 | 0.0% | -0.2% | 9.7% |
| Commodities (US$) | ||||
| Brent Crude Oil | 67.64 | -2.5% | 2.8% | 14.5% |
| Gold | 1,339.38 | 0.9% | 2.5% | 11.8% |
| UK Sectors | ||||
| Basic Materials | 5,915.86 | 0.0% | -6.4% | 25.0% |
| Consumer Goods and Services | 19,531.08 | 0.0% | -12.7% | 13.6% |
| Financials | 5,063.02 | 0.0% | -6.5% | 13.3% |
| Health Care | 9,411.53 | 0.0% | -1.1% | -3.7% |
| Industrials | 3,894.17 | 0.0% | -7.8% | 9.0% |
| Oil & Gas | 8,231.31 | 0.0% | -9.1% | 6.0% |
| Technology | 1,671.81 | 0.0% | -27.4% | 23.5% |
| Telecommunications | 2,805.14 | 0.0% | -17.1% | 0.1% |
| Utilities | 6,802.51 | 0.0% | -7.3% | -14.8% |
| Currencies | ||||
| $ per £ | 1.40 | -0.1% | 3.7% | 9.5% |
| € per £ | 1.14 | -0.3% | 1.0% | -4.0% |
| ¥ per £ | 148.95 | 0.1% | -2.2% | 5.3% |
| Indicators | ||||
| VIX Index (Volatility) | 23.62 | 18.3% | 113.9% | -21.4% |
| Baltic Dry Index | 1,055.00 | 0.0% | -22.8% | 42.1% |