FTSE 100 movers: Pre-Easter hunt lifts miners, grocers; Barclays gets DoJ boost
The FTSE 100 was on the up the day before the long Easter weekend, with miners and supermarket groups leading the way.
Private hospital owner Mediclinic International was top of the leaderboard after confirming that Ronnie van der Merwe would be its next permanent chief executive, having been chief clinical officer and CEO designate since last summer. He will succeed Danie Meintjes on 1 June.
Barclays popped late in the session after settling with the US Department of Justice for a $2bn fine over the claims relating to the underwriting and issuing of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) in the lead up to the financial crisis.
That's about GBP1.42bn. Yesterday, Credit Suisseput the bill for DoJ litigation at 1.5bn pounds. Hence investors see that as good news, sending Barclays shares shooting higher.
Miners were back in the upper echelons, led by Anglo American, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, rebounding from yesterday's dip and as the lower dollar boosted commodities prices.
Morrisons was up after a 'buy' recommendation from Bernstein as a "great income stock'. Analysts saw the Bradford-based grocer as "a perennial underdog in our sector, unloved by the sell-side but with best long term historical TSR and a favourite of value investors".
Amid the collapse of drinks wholesaler and retailer Conviviality, owner of Bargain Booze and Wine Rack chains, several other food and drinks retailers were up on read-across for potential alcohol sales, including Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Marks & Spencer. A stronger consumer confidence report from GfK also was encouraging for the sector.
Elsewhere, Compass Group was on the back foot as French food service peer Sodexo cut its full-year sales guidance.
Other fallers included InterContinental Hotels, British Land, Prudential as their stock went ex-dividend.
Market Movers
FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,066.64 0.31%
FTSE 250 (MCX) 19,436.87 0.41%
techMARK (TASX) 3,263.42 0.11%
FTSE 100 - Risers
Mediclinic International (MDC) 595.00p 4.06%
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 613.60p 2.78%
Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets (MRW) 214.00p 2.64%
Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 240.50p 2.56%
Rio Tinto (RIO) 3,604.00p 2.30%
easyJet (EZJ) 1,602.00p 2.30%
BT Group (BT.A) 230.90p 2.28%
Anglo American (AAL) 1,651.80p 2.16%
BHP Billiton (BLT) 1,405.00p 2.03%
Fresnillo (FRES) 1,252.00p 1.58%
FTSE 100 - Fallers
Compass Group (CPG) 1,450.50p -2.32%
Prudential (PRU) 1,797.10p -2.28%
Johnson Matthey (JMAT) 3,035.00p -1.84%
Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) 2,878.67p -1.68%
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) 4,272.00p -1.66%
Smith & Nephew (SN.) 1,330.50p -1.41%
Shire Plc (SHP) 3,452.00p -1.37%
Paddy Power Betfair (PPB) 7,200.00p -1.17%
AstraZeneca (AZN) 4,892.50p -1.04%
Barclays (BARC) 204.45p -0.75%