London close: Stocks finish higher after very quiet Monday

London markets managed modest gains by the close of a subdued trading session on Monday, with no significant corporate or economic catalysts driving movements.

The FTSE 100 index edged up by 0.02% to reach 7,573.69 points, while the FTSE 250 saw a more notable rise of 0.74% to settle at 19,203.93 points.

In currency markets, sterling was last up 0.05% on the dollar to trade at $1.2634, while it rose 0.09% against the euro to change hands at €1.1721.

“The new week has begun with gains for stocks, though once again the FTSE 100 has been left out thanks to weakness in its heavyweight pharmaceutical stocks,” said IG chief market analyst Chris Beauchamp.

“European indices have led the way today, and despite fears of broad-based weakness in the eurozone economy both the DAX and CAC 40 continue to hover near record highs.”

Beauchamp added that Tuesday’s consumer price index reading in the US was looking to be the main event of the week.

“Price growth is expected to keep slowing towards the Fed’s target, so investors will be hoping for a bigger-than-expected drop in order to provide the foundations of a rally to fresh record highs for US indices.”

UKCP jumps on offer from Tritax, GSK slips

On London’s equity markets, UK Commercial Property REIT jumped 4.83% following news of a potential acquisition by Tritax Big Box in a deal valued at £924m.

Tritax, which itself closed down 4%, said it had offered 0.444 new Tritax shares for every UKCP share, leaving it with 76.7% of the merged group and UKCM shareholders with the remainder.

It represented a 10.8% premium to UKCP’s closing share price of 64.2 pence per share on 9 February.

Elsewhere, Mike Ashley’s retail conglomerate Frasers Group rose 4.98% after announcing an £80m share buyback initiative.

SSP Group saw a modest gain of 1.07% following its acquisition of Airport Retail Enterprises in Australia.

Anglo American climbed 2.88% after signing a memorandum of understanding with Finnish Minerals Group to support Finland’s battery strategy.

Finnish Minerals Group is a holding and development company that manages the Finnish Government’s mining industry shareholdings and supports the development of the Finnish battery value chain.

Jupiter Fund Management leapt 7% after receiving an upgraded rating to ‘neutral’ from BNP Paribas Exane.

On the downside, GSK dipped 2.02% despite confirming the US FDA had granted fast track designation for its investigational drug, bepirovirsen, aimed at treating chronic hepatitis B.

Ashmore Group faced a 3.22% drop after JPMorgan maintained its ‘underweight’ rating on the stock and adjusted the price target downwards, citing concerns about the extent of the recent re-rating.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.

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