Connect with us

Business

FTSE 100 and sterling rise after Bank of England rate cut

Published

on

FTSE 100 and sterling rise after Bank of England rate cut



Stock prices in London closed in the green on Thursday, following the Bank of England’s decision to cut rates and a hold from the European Central Bank.

In a split vote, the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted five to four to reduce interest rates by 25 basis points, which takes the bank rate to 3.75% from 4%.

Five members of the MPC, including Governor Andrew Bailey, supported the cut, judging that upside risks to inflation have continued to recede.

AJ Bell’s Laith Khalaf said: “A Christmas rate cut will bring some much-needed financial cheer to households and businesses across the country, especially those who are battling to keep the show on the road.

“But there were definite signs of hawkishness in the minutes of the MPC meeting.”

Mr Khalaf added: “Inflation is now expected to fall back closer to the 2% target in the spring… But this has failed to significantly move the dial for some members of the rate-setting committee.

“The vote to cut rates was still close, with four members wanting to hold rates at 4%…That suggests they may be worried about a U-shaped trajectory for (consumer price inflation), settling at a rate above 2% in the medium term.”

The analyst concluded: “All in all, the rhetoric and tone of the committee’s minutes look pitched at restraining animal spirits. Despite the rate cut, the Bank remains in cautious mode, wary of both persistent inflation and policy errors.”

The FTSE 100 index closed up 63.45 points, 0.7%, at 9,837.77. The FTSE 250 ended up 160.83 points, 0.7%, at 22,325.59, and the AIM All-Share closed up 4.88 points, 0.7%, at 756.36.

In European equities on Thursday, the CAC 40 in Paris closed up 0.8%.

The European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday left interest rates unchanged, as expected, amid a brighter economic forecast.

The decision leaves the interest rates on the deposit facility, the main refinancing operations and the marginal lending facility unchanged at 2%, 2.15% and 2.4% respectively.

Quilter Cheviot’s Richard Carter said: “The ECB’s decision to maintain its hold on rates comes as a surprise to no one, and 2026 looks likely to be similarly uneventful unless there is a significant shift in the economic outlook.

“Most economists expect rates to remain unchanged throughout next year, particularly after Christine Lagarde reaffirmed her confidence that current monetary policy is well-positioned.

“While a rate cut cannot be entirely ruled out if inflation continues to surprise on the upside, any movement is likely to be minimal for the foreseeable future.”

The pound was quoted higher at 1.3387 dollars at the time of the London equities close on Thursday, compared to 1.3359 dollars on Wednesday. It had bought 1.3356 dollars just before the Bank’s rate decision.

The euro stood at 1.1730 dollars, lower against 1.1749 dollars. Against the yen, the dollar was trading lower at 155.46 yen compared to 155.55 yen.

Stocks in New York were higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.9%, the S&P 500 index up 1.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite up 1.9%.

The yield on the US 10-year Treasury was quoted at 4.11%, narrowing from 4.17%. The yield on the US 30-year Treasury was quoted at 4.79%, narrowing from 4.83%.

Brent oil was quoted higher at 60.23 dollars a barrel at the time of the London equities close on Thursday, from 59.91 dollars late on Wednesday.

Gold was quoted higher at 4,370.61 dollars an ounce against 4,326.25 dollars.

Back on the London Stock Exchange, Whitbread led the FTSE 100, up 6% after activist investor Corvex Management LP took a more than 6% stake in the Bedfordshire, England-based hotel and restaurant owner.

Corvex said the Premier Inn owner trades at a discount not only to its “fundamental value” but at a discount to the value of its UK freehold hotel portfolio alone, and urged Whitbread to commission a third-party strategic review of its capital allocation priorities.

In response, a Whitbread spokesperson said the company “has a clear strategy and business model, and our five-year plan is designed to deliver strong returns for shareholders through growth in both the UK and Germany”.

Referring to the UK government budget announcement last month, which increased business rates for some properties, the spokesperson said: “We run our business for the long-term but remain flexible and as stated in our announcement on November 28, we are exploring various options to further drive profits, margins and returns in light of the impact of measures in the UK budget.”

BP rose 0.1%. The London-based oil major’s chief executive Murray Auchincloss will step down on Thursday and be replaced by Woodside Energy boss Meg O’Neill.

Carol Howle, current executive vice president, supply, trading & shipping of BP, will serve as interim chief executive until Ms O’Neil joins on April 1 2026.

Ms O’Neill has been chief executive of Woodside Energy since 2021, where she oversaw the acquisition of BHP Petroleum International.

On AIM, Tekmar rose 19%. The technology and services provider for the offshore energy industry announced that it had won a “significant contract award” worth more than 8 million dollars with an existing engineering, procurement & construction customer.

Tekmar will provide its services to a “major UK offshore wind farm”, and said the deal reflects its “track record in delivering reliable, technically robust protection technology”.

Small-cap Topps Tiles lost 6.3%, after the tile retailer went ex-dividend, meaning new buyers do not qualify for the latest payout.

However, its stock is still 14% higher for the year to date.

The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Whitbread, up 146.3p at 2,591.3p; Rolls-Royce, up 42p at 1,144p; Rentokil Initial, up 15.8p at 448.5p; Melrose, up 14.8p at 565.4p; and Smiths, up 62p at 2,394p.

The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were United Utilities, down 18p at 1,185p; GSK, down 21p at 1,812.5p; Bunzl, down 18.4p at 420.4p; Pershing Square, 36p at 4,932p; and Coca-Cola Europacific, down 50p at 6,88p.

On Friday’s economic calendar, the UK has consumer confidence, retail sales and public sector net borrowing.

On Friday’s UK corporate calendar, Carnival and WH Smith publish their full-year results.

Contributed by Alliance News.



Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Business

Nike tops earnings estimates but shares fall as China sales plunge, tariffs hit profits

Published

on

Nike tops earnings estimates but shares fall as China sales plunge, tariffs hit profits


A shopper carries Nike bags in San Francisco, California, US, on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025.

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Nike on Thursday posted quarterly earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street’s estimates, as strength in North America helped to offset a plunge in China sales.

The company’s stock slid more than 6% in extended trading Thursday, as investors digested the weakness in China and the sustained hit Nike is taking from higher tariffs.

Here’s what Nike reported for its second fiscal quarter of 2026, according to consensus estimates from LSEG:

  • Earnings per share: 53 cents vs. 38 cents expected
  • Revenue: $12.43 billion vs. $12.22 billion expected

The athletic apparel retailer said sales in North America rose 9% to $5.63 billion. But revenue in its Greater China market dropped 17% to $1.42 billion.

The sneaker company is just over a year into CEO Elliott Hill’s turnaround strategy, focusing on regaining its growth and market share, clearing out old inventory and investing in wholesale relationships.

“Fiscal year ’26 continues to be a year of taking action to rightsize our classics business, return Nike digital to a premium experience, diversify our product portfolio, deepen our consumer connection, strengthen our partner relationships and realign our teams and leadership,” Hill said on a call with analysts. “And I say we’re in the middle inning of our comeback.”

“We’re nowhere near our potential,” he added.

Hill said Nike’s improvements in its China market are “not happening at the level or the pace we need to drive wider change,” though he said the country remains one of the company’s most powerful long-term opportunities.

Nike expects fiscal third quarter revenues to fall by a low single digit percentage, with modest growth in North America. It also anticipates gross margins will drop 1.75 to 2.25 percentage points – including a 3.15 percentage point hit from tariffs.

The company said wholesale revenues climbed 8% to $7.5 billion during the quarter. But direct sales — which were a focus for Nike in the years before Hill took over and moved away from the strategy — fell 8% to $4.6 billion.

Nike has also been feeling the impact of tariff increases. It said Thursday that its gross margin decreased by 3 percentage points and inventories dropped 3% primarily due to higher tariffs.

The sneaker company has been reporting weakness in its Converse brand, too. In its first fiscal quarter, Nike said Converse sales dropped 27% – on Thursday, it reported a 30% drop in revenues for the sneaker brand.

Despite the weakness in some parts of Nike’s business, the company highlighted some areas of strength and new initiatives ahead. CFO Matt Friend said on the call that Nike.com posted its best Black Friday ever this year, partially driven by its Air Jordan “Black Cat” launch.

Nike also plans to launch a new footwear platform in January called Nike Mind, which aims to help athletes prepare for performance and competition, Hill said on the call.

Nike has been making larger internal changes under Hill.

Earlier this month, Nike underwent leadership changes to “remove layers,” according to Hill. Under its “Win Now” strategy, the company announced that Chief Commercial Officer Craig Williams would leave the sneaker giant.

Hill called the shakeup a move “about growth and offense.”

“Collectively, these changes amount to us eliminating layers and better positioning Nike to continue to have an impact the way only Nike can,” Hill said in a statement at the time.

Nike shares have dropped more than 13% this year as of Thursday’s close.



Source link

Continue Reading

Business

Trump signs executive order reclassifying cannabis, opening door to broader weed access

Published

on

Trump signs executive order reclassifying cannabis, opening door to broader weed access


U.S. President Donald Trump sits in the Oval Office to sign executive orders, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Dec. 18, 2025.

Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing federal agencies to reclassify marijuana, loosening long-standing restrictions on the drug and marking the most consequential shift in U.S. cannabis policy in more than half a century.

The order, once finalized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, moves cannabis out of Schedule I classification — the most restrictive category under the Controlled Substances Act, alongside heroin and LSD — to a Schedule III classification, which encompasses substances with accepted medical use and a lower potential for abuse, such as ketamine and Tylenol with codeine.

“This action has been requested by American patients suffering from extreme pain, incurable diseases, aggressive cancers, seizure disorders, neurological problems and more, including numerous veterans with service-related injuries, and older Americans who live with chronic medical problems that severely degrade their quality of life,” Trump said from the Oval Office on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, led by Dr. Mehmet Oz, is expected to launch a pilot program in April enabling certain Medicare-covered seniors to receive free, doctor-recommended CBD products, which must comply with all local and state laws on quality and safety, according to senior White House officials. The products must also come from a legally compliant source and undergo third-party testing for CBD levels and contaminants.

Shares of cannabis conglomerates were down following the announcement, likely from worries of new compeititon from international companies.

Trulieve’s stock finished the day down about 23%, Green Thumb Industries fell more than 16% and Tilray Brands fell about about 4% as of close on Thursday. The AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF, which tracks American operators, slid almost 27%.

“Millions of registered patients across the United States, many of them veterans, rely on cannabis for relief from chronic and debilitating symptoms. We commend the administration for taking this historic step. This is only the beginning,” Ben Kovler, founder and CEO of Green Thumb, said in a statement to CNBC.

The reclassification is viewed by many analysts as a financial lifeline for the cannabis industry. The move exempts companies from IRS Code Section 280E, allowing them to deduct standard expenses like rent and payroll for the first time. It also opens the door for banking access and institutional capital previously sidelined by compliance fears.

Many on Wall Street also expect the changes and the Medicare pilot to draw major pharmaceutical players into the sector to chase federally insured revenue.

While CBD has surged in popularity in recent years, with infused consumer goods ranging from seltzers to skin care, the Food and Drug Administration has stopped short of granting the compound its full backing.

Studies have found “inconsistent benefits” for targeted conditions, while FDA-funded research warns that prolonged CBD use can cause liver toxicity and interfere with other lifesaving medications.

Currently, the FDA has only approved one CBD-based drug, Epidiolex, for rare forms of epilepsy.

“I want to emphasize that the order … doesn’t legalize marijuana in any way, shape or form, and in no way sanctions its use as a recreational drug,” Trump said.

Experts and industry insiders told CNBC this week that a reclassification could pave the way for more research into the effects of CBD use.



Source link

Continue Reading

Business

SHANTI shields N-plants from safety oversight: Experts – The Times of India

Published

on

SHANTI shields N-plants from safety oversight: Experts – The Times of India


NEW DELHI: The new nuclear energy bill, which was passed in Rajya Sabha by voice vote after a four-hour discussion while rejecting many amendments moved by opposition to send it to a parliamentary panel for scrutiny, marks a decisive shift in India’s nuclear governance, embedding safety oversight in law across the lifecycle of an atomic plant, unlike the existing framework that relied largely on executive discretion and post-accident accountability.Sustainable Harnessing of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill will allow private participation in India’s tightly controlled civil nuclear sector as the country seeks to meet its clean energy goals by 2047. As opposition raised safety and liability concerns, officials said it establishes a statutory safety regime that ensures continuous compliance rather than reliance on one-time permissions. It seeks to provide for a “pragmatic civil liability regime for nuclear damage and confer statutory status to Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)”.Officials said unlike the previous law – in which nuclear safety oversight was shaped largely by broad executive authority and administrative rules – SHANTI fundamentally recasts the framework by shifting to a “statutory, lifecycle-based regulatory regime”. Govt manages radiation risks and radioactive waste, but does not mandate separate safety authorisations or legally bind safety obligations to each phase of a nuclear plant’s life. AERB’s stage-wise consent process for construction, commissioning and operation existed only as an administrative practice. Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act, 2010 further reinforced a post-accident approach by focusing on compensation and insurance rather than prevention.“These laws (Atomic Energy Act and CLND Act) treated safety primarily as a post-damage responsibility, rather than a proactive governance requirement,” said an official. SHANTI separates “permission to operate” from “permission to operate safely”, requiring both a licence and an independent safety authorisation. Any activity involving radiation exposure risk – including construction, operation, transport, storage, decommissioning, or waste management – will now require explicit safety approval.It also consolidates regulation, enforcement, civil liability and dispute resolution within a single statute, reducing legal complexity and compliance uncertainty. “It grants a clear statutory authority to AERB to inspect facilities, investigate incidents, issue binding directions, and suspend or cancel operations that do not meet safety standards. Regulatory action is no longer dependent on executive discretion. Accident prevention is significantly enhanced by legally recognising serious risk situations as nuclear incidents, even without actual damage,” said the official. Core functions such as fuel enrichment, spent-fuel reprocessing, and heavy water production will remain exclusively under Centre’s control.Anujesh Dwivedi, partner at Deloitte India, said continuing with the existing legal framework would make it difficult for nuclear energy to replace thermal power in the long run. “Over decades, India added only about 8GW of nuclear capacity. Scaling this up to 100GW by 2047- and potentially 300GW or more by 2070 – required major reforms, which these regulations seek to address,” he said.Meanwhile, PM Modi said passing of the bill marks a “transformational moment for our technology landscape”.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending