LONDON MARKETS: FTSE 100 Fights For Direction As Investors Assess Trade Official's No-deal Brexit Remark
August 06 2018 - 4:44AM
Dow Jones News
By Victor Reklaitis, MarketWatch
Analyst: U.K.'s Liam Fox may be 'taking a leaf out of Mr.
Trump's book and talking tough'
The U.K.'s main equity gauge switched between small gains and
losses early Monday, as traders weighed fresh Brexit posturing and
another round of earnings reports.
How markets are performing
The FTSE 100was recently up by less than 0.1% to 7,662.63, after
jumping 1.1% in Friday's session
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ftse-100-jumps-friday-but-remains-on-track-for-weekly-loss-2018-08-03)
but still registering a weekly loss of 0.6%.
The British blue-chip gauge is showing a drop of 0.3% for the
year to date.
The poundwas buying $1.2973, down slightly from $1.3002 late
Friday in New York.
What's moving markets
Liam Fox, the U.K.'s international trade secretary, said in a
Sunday Times interview
(https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/liam-fox-says-there-is-a-6040-chance-of-no-dealbrexit-lpsgm2gdf)
over the weekend that there is a 60% chance that the country will
crash out of the European Union without a deal with the bloc.
Brexit-related worries tend to weigh on the pound, but sterling
wasn't down sharply early Monday. However, the British currency is
already down about 1% against the dollar in August, and it remains
far below the $1.50 level that it was trading around before the
June 2016 vote in favor of leaving the EU.
A softer pound can boost the FTSE 100, as the index's
multinational companies generate most of their sales in other
currencies.
Worries about global trade tensions remained part of the
investing backdrop, after U.S. President Donald Trump over the
weekend tweeted that American tariffs are "working far better than
anyone ever anticipated
(https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1025830647649247232)."
That came after China on Friday threatened
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/china-threatens-new-tariffs-on-60-billion-of-us-products-2018-08-03)
to slap tariffs on $60 billion of American goods if the White House
goes ahead with its plans to impose new levies on Chinese
products.
Meanwhile, China's Global Times newspaper said Beijing is ready
to dig in for a "protracted war"
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-has-lost-its-mind-over-trade-beijing-ready-for-long-fight-chinese-newspaper-2018-08-06)
with the U.S. over trade. Equity strategists have warned that the
escalating trade fight could weigh on global economic growth.
What are strategists saying?
"The pound is likely to be in focus today as Liam Fox, secretary
for international trade, announced the probability of a no-deal
Brexit is 60-40," said David Madden, an analyst at CMC Markets UK,
in a note.
"Mr. Fox blamed the EU for the lack of progress on the
negotiations. It is possible that Mr. Fox is taking a leaf out of
Mr. Trump's book and talking tough, but nonetheless, the prospect
of no deal being reached is likely to put pressure on the pound,"
Madden added.
Stocks in focus
Shares in Just Eat PLC(JE.LN)declined 1.4% for one of the FTSE
100's biggest drops after the food-delivery company posted
first-half results. It was a bittersweet period, as the company
delivered a profit fall but raised 2018 revenue guidance, a Dow
Jones Newswires report said.
Shares in HSBC Holdings PLC(HSBA.LN)(HSBA.LN) dropped 0.4% after
the bank said adjusted profit before tax fell
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hsbc-profit-gets-a-lift-from-retail-banking-2018-08-06).
Tesco PLC's stock (TSCO.LN)(TSCO.LN) edged up by 0.2% after the
British grocery chain and French peer Carrefour SA (CA.FR)confirmed
they have entered into a long-term strategic alliance
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tesco-carrefour-confirm-strategic-alliance-2018-08-06),
as they hope to use their buying power with suppliers to cut
prices.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
August 06, 2018 04:29 ET (08:29 GMT)
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