Business
FTSE 100 ends week on a high despite downbeat economic news
The FTSE 100 ended in the green on Friday, outperforming European peers, despite downbeat economic news ahead of next week’s Budget.
The index closed up 12.06 points, 0.1%, at 9,539.71.
The FTSE 250 ended 20.98 points lower, 0.1%, at 21,363.37, while the AIM All-Share fell 5.56 points, 0.8%, to 735.64.
For the week, the FTSE 100 was down 1.6%, the FTSE 250 fell 2.1%, and the AIM All-Share declined 1.4%.
Figures showed a surprise drop in retail sales, higher government borrowing than expected and a slowdown in private sector activity.
The Office for National Statistics said net borrowing amounted to £17.4 billion in October, easing from £19.9 billion in September, but above an FXStreet cited forecast of £15.2 billion.
The figure topped a £14.4 billion Office for Budget Responsibility forecast outlined in March.
Meanwhile, the flash composite PMI fell to a two-month low of 50.5 points in November from October’s final tally of 52.2.
The flash manufacturing PMI rose to 50.2 points in November from 49.7 in October, a 14-month-high. But the services PMI fell to a seven-month low of 50.5 from 52.3 in October.
Meanwhile, retail sales fell 1.1% in October from September, the ONS said. They had been expected to tread water, according to consensus cited by FXStreet. They had risen 0.7% in September.
The data was seen as increasing the likelihood of an interest rate cut by the Bank of England in December although sterling was little moved.
Pantheon Macroeconomics chief UK economist Rob Wood said risks to growth forecasts now “lie to the downside”.
“Those downside growth risks along with sharply weaker inflation signals from the PMI cements a December rate cut from the (Monetary Policy Committee). We think the bar to rate setters holding in December will now be very high,” he added.
Mr Wood said a range of surveys give a consistent signal that the past couple of months of “tax hokey-cokey” ahead of the Budget is leading households and firms to pause spending and “wait-and-see who gets hit by the smorgasbord of tax hikes”.
Sterling was quoted at 1.308 dollars at the time of the London equities close on Friday, slightly lower compared to 1.309 on Thursday.
The euro stood at 1.150 dollars, lower against 1.153 a day earlier.
In European equities on Friday, the Cac 40 in Paris ended flat, while the Dax 40 in Frankfurt declined 0.8%.
In New York, markets were higher at the time of the London equity market close.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.7%, the S&P 500 index was 0.5% higher, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.2%.
The yield on the US 10-year Treasury was at 4.07%, trimmed from 4.10% on Thursday. The yield on the US 30-year Treasury was 4.71%, narrowed from 4.72%.
Back in London, hopes of lower interest rates gave housebuilders a boost.
In addition, reports suggested next week’s Budget could include changes to Lisas, aimed at helping first-time buyers.
On the FTSE 100, Persimmon rose 4.7%, Barratt Redrow climbed 3.6% and Berkeley gained 2.2%.
Credit checking agency Experian rose 3.5% as Citi upgraded to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’.
The broker thinks margins at Experian’s North American business could surprise on the upside.
Babcock International gained 1.8% as it boosted its interim dividend and backed full-year targets, after trading improved in the first half.
The London-based aerospace and defence engineering firm posted £226.3 million in pretax profit for the six months ended September 30 – a 32% jump from £172.0 million the year previously.
Babcock declared a first-half dividend of 2.5p per share, up 25% from 2.0p.
Recent falls in US technology stocks weighed on Polar Capital Technology Trust, down 5.3% and Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, down 3.1% as the initial boost from Nvidia results quickly fizzled out.
“Relief around Nvidia’s results didn’t last long as investors couldn’t shake their fears that the AI boom might have got ahead of itself,” said Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell.
“There is a lingering concern that the AI revolution might take longer than expected to truly transform the way companies do business.
“People in the late 1990s were right to predict the internet would change the world, they just had to wait a bit longer than initially thought, and that resetting of expectations was central to the bursting of the dotcom bubble,” he added.
On the FTSE 250, Hammerson rose 7.1% after buying the remaining 50% interest in The Oracle in Reading and raising guidance.
Hammerson raised its financial 2025 total gross rental income growth guidance to 19%, from the 17% previously guided.
Brent oil was quoted lower at 62.15 dollars a barrel at the time of the London equities close on Friday, from 63.44 late on Thursday.
Gold traded higher at 4,073.57 dollars an ounce on Friday against 4,058.47 on Thursday.
The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Persimmon, up 57.0p at 1,258.5p, Diageo, up 64.0p at 1,768.0p, Barratt Redrow, up 13.3p at 378.8p, Experian, up 114.0p at 3,353.0p and London Stock Exchange, up 272.0p at 8,602.0p.
The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were Melrose Industries, down 37.0p at 570.0p, JD Sports Fashion, down 4.4p at 72.9p, Polar Capital Technology Trust, down 24.0p at 433.0p, Glencore, down 14.0p at 335.0p, and Rolls Royce, down 41.0p at 1,038.0p.
Contributed by Alliance News
Car-sharing firm Zipcar has confirmed it is stopping operations in the UK after launching a consultation late last year.
The move will hit the company’s roughly 650,000 drivers across the country.
On December 1, the US-based company told customers in the UK that it planned to suspend new bookings temporarily at the turn of the year.
The business, which had 71 UK employees at the end of 2024, launched a formal consultation with staff as a result.
On Friday, in a fresh email to customers, the business said it “can now confirm that Zipcar will cease operating in the UK”.
The company added: “In accordance with clause 7.5 of the member terms, please take this as your written notice that we will formally close your account in 30 days’ time.
“It’s not possible to make any new bookings with Zipcar UK at this time, but your account will remain open until February 16.”
It added that customers will be entitled to a pro-rated refund for any remaining periods on current plans or subscriptions, from the start of 2026.
Zipcar said this will be done automatically and will not require any action from users.
Accounts showed that the van and car hire firm saw losses deepen to £5.7 million in 2024 after a decrease in customer trips.
New Delhi: Good news for investors and market watchers! Even though February 1 falls on a Sunday this year, the Indian stock markets will remain open for trading on Budget Day. Both the BSE and NSE announced on January 16 that trading will take place as per normal market hours on February 1 for Budget 2026. This special arrangement ensures that investors can react to Budget announcements in real time, without waiting for the next trading session.
The NSE clarified the special trading arrangement in a circular, stating, “On account of the presentation of the Union Budget, members are requested to note that Exchange shall be conducting live trading session on February 01, 2026, as per the standard market timings (9:15 am-3:30 pm),” said NSE in a circular.
Union Budget 2026 to be presented on February 1 at 11 am
The Union Budget for 2026 will be presented at 11 am on Sunday, February 1, the Lok Sabha Speaker confirmed on January 12. In recent years, February 1 has become the fixed date for the annual Budget presentation, a trend that continued with the 2025 Budget as well. The upcoming Budget will also be a significant milestone for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, as it will be her ninth consecutive Union Budget, placing her among finance ministers with the longest uninterrupted Budget tenures.
Trading details for Budget Day explained
While most core market segments will remain open during regular trading hours on Budget Day, some services will stay shut. The BSE has clarified that the T+0 settlement session and the auction session meant for settlement defaults will not be operational. At the same time, the NSE confirmed that trading in capital markets and derivatives will continue as usual.
Stock market holiday list remains the same
The stock market holiday calendar for 2026 remains unchanged, with Indian exchanges observing 16 public holidays apart from weekends. The next scheduled market closure this month will be on January 26. In the first half of the year, markets will remain shut on key occasions such as Holi (March 3), Ram Navami (March 26), Mahavir Jayanti (March 31) and Good Friday (April 3). Trading will also be suspended on Ambedkar Jayanti (April 14), Maharashtra Day (May 1) and Bakri Id (May 28).
In the second half of the year, markets will close on Muharram (June 26), Ganesh Chaturthi (September 14), Gandhi Jayanti (October 2), Dussehra (October 20), Diwali Balipratipada (November 10) and Guru Nanak Jayanti (November 24). Christmas, on December 25, will be the final market holiday of 2026.
Last Updated:
While bulk deals may reflect emerging interest in a stock, block deals are usually pre-planned and involve large institutional investors
Market experts say tracking bulk and block deals can offer useful insights into the actions of large investors and institutions. (Representational Photo)
Investors tracking stock market movements often come across terms such as ‘bulk deal’ and ‘block deal’ in daily trading updates. At times, a sharp rise or fall in a stock price can be traced back to these large transactions. Understanding what these deals mean, how they differ, and why they matter can help investors make better sense of market activity.
Bulk Deal
A bulk deal occurs when an investor or institution buys or sells 0.5% or more of a company’s total equity shares in a single trading day. Such transactions take place during normal market hours and are disclosed by the stock exchanges after the market closes.
Bulk deals can have an immediate impact on a stock’s price, as heavy buying or selling often signals strong interest or exit by a large investor. Retail investors sometimes view bulk purchases by institutional players as a vote of confidence in the company.
Block Deal
A block deal is executed through a special trading window provided by the stock exchanges. To qualify as a block deal, the transaction must involve at least 5 lakh shares or be valued at more than Rs 5 crore. These deals are carried out during a specific time slot known as the block deal window, and both the buyer and seller are identified beforehand.
The main objective is to facilitate large transactions without causing excessive volatility in the open market. Unlike bulk deals, block deals are reported to the exchanges immediately.
Differences Between Bulk and Block Deals
Bulk deals are executed during regular trading hours and typically involve relatively smaller quantities compared to block deals. They are disclosed at the end of the trading session. Block deals, on the other hand, are meant for very large transactions, take place in a designated time window, and are reported in real time.
While bulk deals may reflect emerging interest in a stock, block deals are usually pre-planned and involve large institutional investors.
Types of Deals in the Stock Market
There are broadly four types of transactions in the equity market. Regular trading deals involve routine buying and selling by investors on the exchange. Bulk deals refer to large trades crossing the 0.5% threshold of a company’s equity in a day. Block deals are high-value or high-volume transactions conducted through a special window.
Off-market deals involve the transfer of shares outside the exchange platform, such as inter-promoter transfers or strategic stake sales.
What Should Investors Keep in Mind?
Market experts say tracking bulk and block deals can offer useful insights into the actions of large investors and institutions. However, they caution against making investment decisions based solely on these transactions. Investors are advised to also consider a company’s fundamentals, financial performance, management quality and long-term growth prospects.
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January 16, 2026, 20:26 IST
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