Greg Secker – U.K. Market update brought to you by Traders University

UK Stock Market Report 25th February 2011

UK markets closed lower yesterday, with the FTSE 100 index declining for the fifth  consecutive session, as disappointing corporate earnings reports and escalating violence in Libya sent crude oil prices to the highest level since late August 2008, raising concerns over the economic growth. Among banks, Barclays, Standard Chartered and HSBC, dropped between 0.3% and 2.0%, as risk aversion increased among investors, while Royal Bank of Scotland sank 3.6%, after the company reported a worse-than-expected annual net loss of £1.13 billion. Travel stocks, International Consolidated Airlines Group, TUI Travel and Easyjet, lost between 0.2% and 3.5%, as crude oil price touched a multi-year intraday high. However, losses were restricted by gains in some oil producers and miners. FTSE 100 declined 0.1% or 3.6 points to 5,920.0. FTSE 250 fell 0.1% or 112.2 points to 11,409.7.

UK Stock Market Report 10th August 2010

The FTSE 100 rose +78.13 points or +1.47% on Friday to 5410.52

London’s house prices continue to surge ahead for the moment, riding over the decline in the rest of the country. London was one of only two regions which reported material price hikes in July, according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) housing market survey. A total of 14% more surveyors in the capital reported rising prices over the month than those who witnessed a decline, RICS reported. In retail, sales growth is slowing as fears over public spending cuts hit consumer confidence, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Like-for like sales were up just 0.5 per cent in July compared with the same month last year. That was down on the 1.8 per cent rise the year before. Food sales performed better but footwear and homeware sales were poor. The BRC said that “big ticket” items in homeware had been particularly hit by the increased uncertainty caused by the government’s plans for a cull in public sector jobs. On the upside clothing saw a lift from discounting while cosmetics also rallied. The figures showed that from May to July like-for-like sales on all goods rose 0.9 per cent.

Due for release today is the  BRC Retail Sales Monitor y/y (released) and the RICS House Price Balance (released.)

UK Stock Market Report 26th July 2010

The FTSE 100 ended down 1.19 points at 5,312.62.

THE UK economy grew by a higher than expected 1.1 per cent between April and June According to the figures from the Office for National Statistics the construction industry saw its biggest lift since 1963 at 6.6 per cent. The service sector also saw a healthy rise.

This week David Cameron will lead this country’s strongest ever trade mission to India, in a drive to boost cooperation between the UK and one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
Over 50 of the UK’s top business leaders will join the Prime Minister, Chancellor George Osborne, foreign secretary William Hague and business secretary Vince on the trip.
House prices fell for the first time in 15 months in June, according to the monthly Hometrack national housing survey published today. The survey showed that house prices fell by 0.1 per cent last month, trimming the annual increase to 2 per cent, mostly as a result of slumping demand and a flood of properties onto the market. House prices in the capital, which had led the recovery in the property market, saw the biggest monthly decline of 0.2 per cent on the back of a 2.7 per cent drop in demand and 4.5 per cent growth in supply. North and south west London saw the largest falls of 0.5 per cent and 0.6 per cent respectively.

Due for release today
USD  New Home Sales   3.00pm