Hot/Cold Sectors
Sector movers: Defensives drag amid profit-taking in government bonds
Cyclicals took over from defensives on Wednesday as traders in government bond yields continued to book profits ahead of the year-end.
Sector movers: Healthcare stocks fall to the bottom of the pile
Health care stocks were near the bottom of the pile, with UDG Healthcare faring worst after reporting that its finance chief Alan Ralph would be stepping down, to be replaced by Nigel Clerkin as of 1 May.
Sector movers: Chinese data, US tax cut plans trigger buying in miners
Cyclicals were in the ascendant at the start of the week, buoyed by a mix of strong Chinese house price data and progress at the weekend on Capitol Hill to gain approval of Republicans' tax cut plans.
Sector movers: Financials pace gains ahead of central bank policy decisions
Cyclicals paced gains on Wednesday, alongside a bounce in food retailers with financials figuring prominently ahead of interest rate decisions from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday evening, as well as the Bank of England and European Central Bank the next day.
Sector movers: Miners gain on Citi note, Chinese credit data
Miners found a bid at the start of the week on the back of positive commentary out of analysts at Citi and the release of stronger-than-expected bank lending and credit figures in China.
Sector movers: Industrial Metals, Home construction pace gains
Cyclical areas of the market such as Industrial Metals and Home Construction were buoyed at the end of the week, buoyed by strong data out of China and corporate updates, respectively, alongside some of the more defensive segments as telecoms and pharma on the back of positive broker commentary.
Sector movers: Miners caught in downdraft in copper futures
Miners led to the downside on Tuesday amid broad-based selling in base metals which analysts attributed to weak investor sentiment towards demand out of China and higher LME copper stocks which fell to a two-month low.
Sector movers: JP Morgan retains Diageo as its top-pick despite rise in bond yields
Cigarettes and booze found a bid on Wednesday as investors sought refuge in those two defensive sectors on a risk-off day more generally for financial assets globally, amid gyrations in metals markets which some market commentary linked to wider uncertainty surrounding the outlook for China's economy but also US policy-making.
Sector movers: US tax deal news bolsters construction names
Construction stocks paced gains at the start of the week as the US Congress began going about reconcile competing tax cut package proposals which according to some analysts might result in the Trump administration's first major policy win as soon as this week.
Sector movers: Industrial transportation, electricity stocks drop
Industrial transportation stocks led to the downside even as analysts at Deutsche Bank expressed a positive view on the outlook for the sector despite its 37% gain year-to-date at the pan-European level and 21. 5% outperformance versus the Stoxx 600.