Market Report - Midday
London midday: CRH leads way as stocks stay positive
London stocks were moderately higher at midday on Thursday as consumer confidence edged higher and Italian political risk seemed to recede.
London midday: Stocks turn higher as Italian markets rebound
London stocks had reversed earlier losses to trade up by midday on Wednesday, taking their cue from a rebound in European markets - Italy in particular - despite ongoing worries about political instability there.
London midday: Stocks extend losses amid Italy, Spain uncertainty
Stocks in London fell further into the red by midday on Tuesday, playing catch-up to the heavy losses seen in Europe a day earlier amid political uncertainty in Italy and Spain.
London midday: Stocks up but off highs as Q1 GDP confirmed at five-year low
London stocks were up but off earlier highs by midday on Friday following confirmation that the UK economy barely grew in the first quarter, with the overall mood generally a bit brighter on the back of North Korea’s conciliatory response to US President Trump’s cancellation of their summit.
London midday: Stocks steady as sterling pops on retail sales data
London stocks were steady by midday on Thursday as the small gains eked out earlier evaporated after stronger-than-expected retail sales data lit a fire under the pound.
London midday: Stocks maintain losses as pound slumps on inflation data
London stocks were in the red at midday on Wednesday as traders booked some profits following record highs earlier in the week, amid pressure on sterling from an inflation surprise and speculation around potential Barclays merger action.
London midday: Stocks tick higher but M&S, Halfords, Inmarsat in the red
London stocks maintained their upward momentum as midday passed on Tuesday in spite of the pound popping up as Bank of England policymaker Gertjan Vlieghe predicted up to six interest rates in the next three years, with a raft of corporate news also keeping things interesting.
London midday: FTSE hits record high as US-China trade war on hold, pound slumps
London's top-flight index hit a new record on Monday, boosted by a weaker pound as the dollar rallied on the back of an easing of tensions between the US and China, which also helped to lift broader market sentiment.
London midday: Stocks retreat from record high; Astra drops on miss
London stocks edged a little lower by midday on Friday as investors paused for breath following a record closing high a day earlier, led by AstraZeneca after slightly disappointing quarterly numbers.
London midday: Stocks climb as pound eases on Downing St denial of customs report
London stocks had edged up by midday on Thursday as bookies recovered some of their losses, while the pound eased a little after Prime Minister Theresa May denied a report that the UK could stay in the customs union.
London midday: Stocks flat as geopolitics weighs amid deluge of results
London stocks had flattened out by midday on Wednesday as investors weighed up solid updates from the likes of Burberry and Micro Focus and deal news for Paddy Power against geopolitical concerns.
London midday: Stocks edge up as pound stays lower after UK jobs data
London stocks had edged higher by midday on Tuesday as sterling largely shrugged off the latest round of UK jobs data.
London midday: Stocks slip further as pound gains, but deal talks lift IWG
London stocks had edged a little lower by midday on Monday as the pound rallied against the greenback on Brexit speculation, although serviced office provider IWG stormed ahead on the prospect of a bidding war.
London midday: Stocks tick lower as pound gains; ZPG rises on takeover deal
London stocks had ticked just a touch lower by midday on Friday as the pound regained some ground a day after being hit by a dovish Bank of England, although ZPG bucked the trend after the Zoopla owner agreed to be bought by US private equity firm Silver Lake.
London midday: Stocks maintain gains as BoE stands pat; Next and RBS rally
London stocks were still a little higher by midday on Thursday as the Bank of England stood pat on rates, as expected, with updates from RBS and Next helping to keep the top-flight index afloat as BT disappointed.
London midday: Energy shares pace the advance as oil rallies
London stocks had extended gains by midday on Wednesday, with energy shares pacing the advance as Brent crude hit its best levels since 2014 on the back of US President Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, with a raft of corporate news also keeping investors busy.
London midday: Stocks flat ahead of Trump's Iran call; Shire surges on Takeda deal
London stocks had given up earlier gains to trade flat by midday on Tuesday as caution set in ahead of US President Trump's announcement on the Iran nuclear deal later in the day, with a flurry of deal news to keep investors busy until then.
London midday: Stocks warm up ahead of long weekend
London stocks were cooking on gas on Friday, fired up by several upbeat corporate updates, as investors eyed the release of the US non-farm payrolls report, US-China trade talks and a sunny long weekend ahead.
London midday: Stocks almost flat as weak services data dampens rate odds
London stocks were just a touch lower at midday as ex-dividends took some points off the main indices as is usual on a Thursday, while sterling shrugged off more weak data that further reduces the odds of a rate hike this month.
London midday: Stocks maintain gains even as pound pops on construction data
London stocks were holding on to gains by midday on Wednesday even as the pound popped higher on better-than-expected construction data.