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- FTSE 100 slides 18 points
- Construction PMI eases a shade in December
- Washington DC insurrection tempers enthusiasm for shares
The IHS Markit/CIPS UK construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for December eased slightly to 54.6 in December from November’s 54.7.
The reading was still above the 50-point level that separates a contraction in activity from expansion.
Increased construction activity primarily reflected another sharp rise in house building during December while commercial activity also expanded, IHS Markit said.
Civil engineering was the weakest-performing category, with activity falling for the fourth time in the past five months.
“December data illustrated a positive end to the year for the UK construction sector, mostly fuelled by a sharp rebound in house building. Overall output growth has slowed in comparison to the catch-up phase last summer, but now it is encouraging to see the recovery driven by new projects and stronger underlying demand,” said Tim Moore, the economics director at IHS Markit.
“A sustained improvement in construction order books resulted in a rise in employment numbers for the first time in nearly two years and the most optimistic growth expectations since April 2017. Construction companies are hopeful that higher demand will broaden out beyond residential projects in the next 12 months, led by infrastructure spending and a potential rebound in new commercial work from the depressed levels seen during the pandemic.
“Transport delays and a lack of stock among suppliers were the main difficulties reported by UK construction firms at the end of 2020, which contributed to the fastest rise in purchasing prices for nearly two years,” he added.
UK Markit December Construction PMI Report – IHS Markithttps://t.co/HvSDJLZeqw pic.twitter.com/ecIHf14RnY
— LiveSquawk (@LiveSquawk) January 7, 2021
Duncan Brock, the group director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) said the survey provided some positive news from the construction sector in December.
“Long-term prospects came to fruition and halted projects started again as clients became more optimistic after the covid hiatus. To meet this demand head-on, builders opted for job creation for the first time in 21 months to increase previously pared-back capacity,” Brock said.
“Further down the line, with purchasing growth close to its highest for six years, supply chains were groaning at the seams and delivery times increased to the most dramatic extent for six months. Low availability for finished products and raw materials as a result of port disruptions added to builders’ woes as suppliers named their price for goods in acutely short supply and input price inflation increased to its highest level since April 2019,” Brock observed.
The FTSE 100, after a solid start, has fallen into the red at 6,824, down 18 points (0.3%).
8.45am: Biden boost
The FTSE 100 is moving into territory last seen in February and inching towards the 7,000-mark.
It opened 30 points to the good after ending a frenetic Wednesday session almost 230 points, or 3.5% higher.
The post-Brexit readjustment continued, while new impetus has been provided by US stimulus hopes.
The market seemed prepared to overlook the awful scenes of rioting in Washington, which left four dead, and took a more pragmatic view after Democrats were declared winners of two Senate seats contested in Georgia.
Traders reasoned the result, which gives Joe Biden control of the upper house, allows the incoming president now to simply wave through the next major cash bail-out for the American economy.
On the London market, Sainsbury (LON:SBRY) led the blue-chip index with a gain of 4% after nudging up its profit forecasts.
“For Sainsbury, which operates in a fiercely competitive arena, the outlook will remain challenging, particularly given the pressure on pricing which the sector demands,” said Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor.
“There will also be significant costs arising from the redefinition of the business in the form of the overhaul of the Argos store estate and the extension to its convenience store format in the shape of its new Neighbourhood Hub.”
Rio Tinto (LON:RIO), up 4% in early skirmishes, advanced on the back of a resurgent iron ore price, which itself benefited from the hope the US economy may return to form under the Biden administration.
On the FTSE 250, IP Group (LON:IPO), an investor in fledgeling growth businesses, fell almost 9% after it emerged that Invesco has sold almost 62mln shares in the business.
Proactive news headlines
Sativa Wellness Group Inc (LON:SWEL) said it has witnessed record sales in December. In a brief update, the chief executive of the cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD) wellness firm Henry Lees-Buckley said 2020 had been a “transformational year for the company” and that the company’s integrated supply chain allowed them to control quality and costs.
OKYO Pharma Limited (LON:OKYO) has appointed a chairman and a new chief executive. Industry veteran Dr Gary Jacob will assume the role of CEO, taking over from Willy Simon, who will become a senior non-executive director. Gabriele Cerrone is taking the chair of OKYO, but in a non-exec capacity.
Primary Health Properties PLC (LON:PHP) has told investors that it intends to pay four interim dividends in equal instalments of 1.55p in 2021. The level of the dividends implies a full-year dividend 6.2p, up from the 5.9p paid in 2020.
Sareum Holdings PLC (LON:SAR) said it has been formally granted a US patent over its SDC-1802 TYK2/JAK1 kinase inhibitor programme, which is in pre-clinical development targeting cancer. It means the company’s technology is now patented in all major territories, including Europe, Japan and China.
Bahamas Petroleum Company PLC (LON:BPC) told investors it is on-track to add further wells to its operations in Trinidad and also Suriname. At the same time, it confirmed on-target production with 500 barrels of oil per day being produced at the end of 2020. Now, with an extensive work programme on the slate the company is targeting production growth up to 2,500 bopd by the end of 2021.
Mkango Resources Ltd (LON:MKA) has received approval from the TSX-Venture exchange for the issue of Mkango shares to Talaxis Limited. Talaxis is to be granted 1mln shares and in return has agreed to give up the right to buy 12mln Mkango shares at 6.6p each; Mkango shares currently trade at around 16p.
Chaarat Gold Holdings Limited (LON:CGH) has appointed Panmure Gordon as its joint corporate broker with immediate effect. Panmure will work together with the company’s existing brokers Canaccord Genuity Limited and finnCap Limited.
Destiny Pharma PLC (LON:DEST) said chairman Nick Rodgers recently purchased 9,000 ordinary shares at a price of 88p apiece. Following the transaction, his total beneficial interest is 47,462 shares, representing 0.08% of the total issued share capital of the company.
Crossword Cybersecurity PLC (LON:CCS) told investors that it will hold a webinar panel discussion on Tuesday January 12, 2021 at 10am. Entitled “Cyber Security: skills shortage, automation deficit or poor hiring practices – what’s the reality?”, the online discussion will bring together academics, customers and industry professionals to discuss one of the biggest challenges in the industry. It will be chaired by Dr Robert Nowill, executive chair of The Cyber Security Challenge, with a panel including Amanda Finch, CEO at The Chartered Institute of Information Security; Darren Argyle, CISRO at Standard Chartered Bank; and Stuart Jubb, Managing Director for Crossword Cybersecurity’s consulting division.
6.59 am: Winning streak set to continue
The FTSE 100 is seen on the front foot ahead of Thursday’s open with the benchmark poised to extend its winning streak.
CFD firm IG Markets sees the London index up around 36 points, making the price 6,887 to 6,890 with just an hour to go until the open.
It would mark a fourth successive daily gain since trading resumed for 2021.
Global equities were boosted by Wednesday’s news – prior to the disturbances in Capitol Hill – that the Democrats won the two seats contested in Georgia.
The one-sided result means incoming president Joe Biden will have greater control and as a result US government stimulus would find an easier pathway.
“Optimism was doing the rounds because there was a view that the future Biden administration would go down the stimulus route,” CMC Markets analyst David Madden highlighted in a note.
“The disturbance at Capitol Hill derailed the process of certifying the Biden electoral victory for a number of hours but it then continued so the final confirmation of Biden’s win should be relatively straightforward.”
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones closed Wednesday up 437 points or 1.44% finishing at 30,829.
The S&P 500 added 0.57% to 3,748 whilst the Nasdaq was down 0.6% at 12,740.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei rose 434 points or 434 points to trade at 27,490 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 0.42% at 27,578.
The Shanghai Composite was up 0.34% at 3,562.
Around the markets
The pound: US$1.3590, down 0.13%
Gold price: US$1,926 per ounce, up 0.23%
Silver: US$27.32 per ounce, up 0.09%
Brent crude: US$54.69 per barrel, up 2%
WTI crude: US$51.04 per barrel, up 2.2%
Bitcoin: US$37,239, up 6%
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