Sector movers: Miners and banks battered, defensives feel the love

Miners, metals and banks were unloved by investors on Tuesday, while utilities and drug makers were looked upon fondly.

The FTSE 350 industrial metals index was down more than 5%, while the mining sector dropped 2%, industrial engineering down almost 2% too.

Not helping matters was the sell-off in Asia and on Wall Street, with a cloud also hanging over the sector in the form of the ongoing impasse on trade talks between China and the US. With the the G20 summit coming the end of the month, hopes have not been raised of a deal.

Brexit was seen as the reason for the decline across the banking sector. The FTSE 350 banks index was down 1.8%, 350 life insurers were down 2.5% too, though the general financial sector was only down 0.2% amid strength from spread-betting companies.

Spreading further worries were results from challenger bank CYBG, the owner of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank, which said it has started taking contingency measures to handle uncertainties from the country's exit from the European Union and took an extra provision against an expected rise in claims for former PPI misselling.

Amid the sell-off, defensive stocks were feeling the love, with utilities, pharma companies and food producers were in the green.

But drug companies were boosted by a flying BTG after directors recommended a takeover by Boston Scientific, with Astrazeneca, GSK and Shire also higher, which offset the 46% collapse of Indivior after a US appeals court overturned a ruling protecting its best-selling drug.

Top performing sectors so far today

Electronic & Electrical Equipment 6,155.68 +2.96%
Gas, Water & Multiutilities 4,974.95 +1.98%
Electricity 6,838.14 +1.40%
Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology 15,190.57 +1.21%
Food Producers & Processors 7,387.07 +0.65%

Bottom performing sectors so far today

Industrial Metals & Mining 4,834.98 -4.75%
Industrial Engineering 10,688.70 -3.30%
Chemicals 13,428.80 -3.12%
General Industrials 5,344.27 -3.10%
Leisure Goods 6,996.16 -2.77%

Market Movers

FTSE 100 (UKX) 6,951.70 -0.70%
FTSE 250 (MCX) 18,392.54 -0.80%
techMARK (TASX) 3,412.60 1.04%

FTSE 100 - Risers

Compass Group (CPG) 1,672.50p 5.35%
Halma (HLMA) 1,360.00p 3.74%
Just Eat (JE.) 552.40p 3.48%
3i Group (III) 834.60p 3.09%
United Utilities Group (UU.) 764.60p 2.66%
National Grid (NG.) 847.20p 2.58%
Fresnillo (FRES) 914.00p 2.21%
Centrica (CNA) 145.25p 2.14%
Intertek Group (ITRK) 4,612.00p 2.13%
Severn Trent (SVT) 1,890.50p 1.94%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Evraz (EVR) 513.60p -6.35%
easyJet (EZJ) 1,113.50p -5.23%
Ashtead Group (AHT) 1,709.50p -4.92%
DCC (DCC) 5,570.00p -3.88%
GVC Holdings (GVC) 750.00p -3.85%
Informa (INF) 704.60p -3.77%
Scottish Mortgage Inv Trust (SMT) 457.65p -3.65%
Johnson Matthey (JMAT) 2,779.00p -3.41%
Anglo American (AAL) 1,666.40p -3.34%
Smith (DS) (SMDS) 339.30p -3.28%

FTSE 250 - Risers

BTG (BTG) 825.00p 34.15%
Spectris (SXS) 2,362.00p 12.32%
Plus500 Ltd (DI) (PLUS) 1,431.00p 11.36%
Telecom Plus (TEP) 1,314.00p 9.32%
IG Group Holdings (IGG) 636.00p 5.65%
Beazley (BEZ) 553.00p 4.05%
PZ Cussons (PZC) 235.80p 3.88%
Mediclinic International (MDC) 344.00p 3.68%
Centamin (DI) (CEY) 107.25p 3.62%
Homeserve (HSV) 957.50p 3.35%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Indivior (INDV) 113.95p -44.79%
CYBG (CYBG) 209.00p -15.86%
Electrocomponents (ECM) 568.40p -7.06%
Entertainment One Limited (ETO) 362.40p -5.72%
Aveva Group (AVV) 2,550.00p -4.99%
Spire Healthcare Group (SPI) 117.70p -4.93%
Energean Oil & Gas (ENOG) 580.00p -4.92%
Tullow Oil (TLW) 180.10p -4.91%
UDG Healthcare Public Limited Company (UDG) 574.00p -4.73%
Ascential (ASCL) 377.40p -4.70%