EUROPE MARKETS: European Stocks Slip Slightly From 7-week High As Consumer-goods Shares Struggle
20 Avril 2018 - 06:39PM
Dow Jones News
By Carla Mozee and Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch
Ericsson shares surge
European stocks ended a volatile session marginally lower on
Friday, as losses in the consumer-goods sector contributed to
pulling the regional market away from a seven-week high.
But U.K. stocks fared better, helped by a drop in the pound's
value after Bank of England Governor Mark Carney threw into doubt
the possibility of a rate hike in May.
How indexes are moving
The Stoxx Europe 600 index fell 0.03% to end at 381.84, slipping
from its highest close since Feb. 27 logged on Thursday.
For the week, the Stoxx 600 bagged a 0.7% gain, its fourth
consecutive weekly advance.
In Frankfurt, the DAX 30 index ended down 0.2% to 12,540.50, but
rose 0.8% for the week. France's CAC 40 index ended 0.4% higher at
5,412.83, extending its weekly win to 1.8%.
But the U.K.'s FTSE 100 index outperformed its rivals, adding
0.5% to 7,368.17, aided by the drop in the pound's value.
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/uk-stocks-climb-to-10-week-high-as-metals-prices-soar-2018-04-19)
It rose 1.4% for the week.
Check out:Pound crumbles after BOE's Carney casts doubt over May
rate hike
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pound-crumbles-after-boes-carney-casts-doubt-over-may-rate-hike-2018-04-20)
The euro changed hands at $1.2285, down from $1.2345 late
Thursday in New York. Against the pound, the shared currency rose
to GBP0.8755 from GBP0.8766.
What's driving the market
A new wave of earnings reports rolled in for assessment on
Friday. Shares in the consumer-goods sector continued to struggle
on Friday, with Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC under pressure after a
sales gauge for the maker of Lysol disinfectant and other consumer
brands fell short of expectations
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/reckitt-benckiser-sales-rise-backs-yearly-view-2018-04-20).
That sector lost ground on Thursday, as concerns about weak
pricing power hurt shares of Dove soap maker Unilever PLC (ULVR.LN)
, and tobacco stocks fell after Philip Morris International Inc.
(PM) shares plunged in the U.S. on a decline in cigarette sales
volume.
But U.K. stocks moved higher Friday as a whole as the pound fell
against major rivals. Sterling dropped after Carney said he didn't
"want to get too focused on the precise timing" of an interest-rate
hike, citing uncertainty over Brexit and recent disappointing
retail and inflation data. The market had been pricing in a rate
increase at the BOE's meeting on May 10.
A weaker pound can help lift the British blue-chip index, as its
multinational companies generate most of their sales in foreign
currencies.
Read:Here's why the pound got whipped this week -- and why it
may bounce back to $1.44
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-why-the-pound-got-whipped-this-week-and-why-it-may-bounce-back-to-144-2018-04-20)
What strategists are saying
"The rather lackluster figures [for Reckitt Benckiser] highlight
the struggles that consumer goods companies are facing as increased
competition from drugstore chains and e-tailers such as Amazon
often means price increases are out of the question," said Fiona
Cincotta, senior market analyst at City Index, in a note.
Stocks in focus
Reckitt Benckiser shares (RB.LN) dropped 2.8% after the
first-quarter like-for-like sales growth at the consumer products
maker came in at 2%, falling short of expectations of 2.6%
growth.
Ericsson AB shares (ERIC-B.SK) (ERIC) surged 18%, scoring their
best session since 2002, after the Swedish
telecommunications-equipment maker posted a narrower first-quarter
net loss
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ericsson-losses-narrow-amid-turnaround-effort-2018-04-20)
of SEK837 million.
ASM International NV (ASMIY) sank 8.4%. The Dutch semiconductor
firm said first-quarter sales of EUR159 million "were at the lower
end of our guidance while order intake was at the higher end of our
guidance."
Telia Co. AB (TELIA.SK) jumped 8.6% after the Nordic
telecommunications operator raised its cash-flow guidance and
launched a 15 billion Swedish kronor ($1.79 billion) share buyback
program.
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/telia-swings-to-loss-launches-18b-share-buyback-2018-04-20)
Shire PLC (SHPG) (SHPG) fell 3.8% after Allergan PLC (AGN) late
Thursday said it doesn't plan to make a bid for the Dublin-based
drugmaker
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/blink-and-you-missed-it-allergan-doesnt-plan-to-make-a-shire-bid-2018-04-19).
Meanwhile, Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. said Friday it had
sweetened its offer to buy Shire
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/takeda-sweetens-bid-for-drug-rival-shire-2018-04-20),
just a day after the British drugmaker rejected a bid from the
rival pharma company.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 20, 2018 12:24 ET (16:24 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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