Daily News – 26 March 2018
Investment Market Update
Asia
Asian stocks fell, extending last week’s selloff that erased all gains for 2018, as investors are still wary of taking risk amid worries of American protectionist policies.
US
US stocks fell on Friday, as investors shied away from risky bets going into the weekend while they braced for a potential US trade war with China.
UK
UK stocks declined, amid investor concerns that the escalation of the potentail trade war between China and the US would curb global growth.
Headlines
Employers that fail to publish their gender pay gap on time are being warned they are in the “last chance saloon” and may face “unlimited fines”, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Car sales in Britain are set to decline this year amid a slowdown in consumer spending, a report has claimed. Ratings agency Moody’s said new car registrations were likely to fall 5.5% in 2018.
Market data
| Price | 1d | YTD | 2017 | |
| UK (£) | ||||
| FTSE 100 | 6,921.94 | -0.4% | -10.0% | 7.6% |
| FTSE 250 | 19,319.48 | -0.4% | -6.8% | 14.7% |
| FTSE All Share | 3,830.25 | -0.4% | -9.3% | 9.0% |
| FTSE Small Cap | 5,592.03 | -0.5% | -5.4% | 14.9% |
| Europe (€) | ||||
| Euro Stoxx 600 | 365.82 | -0.9% | -6.0% | 7.7% |
| DAX 30 | 11,886.31 | -1.8% | -8.0% | 12.5% |
| CAC 40 | 5,095.22 | -1.4% | -4.1% | 9.3% |
| US (US$) | ||||
| S&P 500 | 2,588.26 | -2.1% | -3.2% | 19.4% |
| Dow Jones Ind | 23,533.20 | -1.8% | -4.8% | 25.1% |
| NASDAQ | 6,992.67 | -2.4% | 1.3% | 28.2% |
| Asia | ||||
| Hang Seng | 30,156.16 | -0.5% | 0.8% | 38.5% |
| Nikkei 225 | 20,693.40 | 0.4% | -9.1% | 19.1% |
| Australia 200 | 5,790.50 | -0.5% | -4.5% | 7.0% |
| MSCI AC Asia Pacific | 171.97 | -2.6% | -1.1% | 28.7% |
| World (US$) | ||||
| MSCI World (Developed) | 2,036.55 | -1.8% | -3.2% | 20.1% |
| MSCI AC World (Dev & Em) | 499.36 | -1.8% | -2.7% | 21.6% |
| MSCI Emerging Markets | 1,172.10 | -2.1% | 1.2% | 34.2% |
| MSCI AC World Value | 213.44 | -1.7% | -4.7% | 15.2% |
| MSCI AC World Growth | 275.04 | -1.9% | -0.6% | 28.3% |
| Fixed Income | ||||
| FTSE Gilts All Stocks | 3,574.14 | -0.4% | -0.4% | 3.0% |
| FTSE Index Linked All Stocks | 640.35 | -0.7% | -1.1% | 2.3% |
| ML Sterling Corporate Bonds | 393.03 | -0.4% | -1.9% | 5.7% |
| ML Global High Yield Bonds | 376.53 | 0.0% | -0.2% | 9.7% |
| Commodities (US$) | ||||
| Brent Crude Oil | 70.45 | 2.2% | 6.6% | 14.5% |
| Gold | 1,347.41 | 1.5% | 3.2% | 11.8% |
| UK Sectors | ||||
| Basic Materials | 5,906.81 | -0.3% | -6.5% | 25.0% |
| Consumer Goods and Services | 18,853.45 | 0.1% | -15.7% | 13.6% |
| Financials | 5,055.65 | -1.4% | -6.6% | 13.3% |
| Health Care | 8,872.90 | 0.6% | -6.7% | -3.7% |
| Industrials | 3,830.25 | -0.4% | -9.3% | 9.0% |
| Oil & Gas | 8,063.10 | -0.2% | -11.0% | 6.0% |
| Technology | 1,671.35 | 0.9% | -27.4% | 23.5% |
| Telecommunications | 2,773.96 | 0.6% | -18.0% | 0.1% |
| Utilities | 6,425.82 | 0.3% | -12.4% | -14.8% |
| Currencies | ||||
| $ per £ | 1.41 | -0.2% | 4.4% | 9.5% |
| € per £ | 1.15 | 0.2% | 1.8% | -4.0% |
| ¥ per £ | 149.17 | 0.8% | -2.0% | 5.3% |
| Indicators | ||||
| VIX Index (Volatility) | 24.87 | 6.6% | 125.3% | -21.4% |
| Baltic Dry Index | 1,122.00 | 0.4% | -17.9% | 42.1% |