Stock markets rise yet higher but tech and Bitcoin suffer
15:50, 16 April 2021
Another strong day for markets saw the FTSE 100 up 0.41%, almost 30 points higher, at 4pm this afternoon. There were major share price rises for Evraz and Barclays, up 3.39% and 2.85%, while retailer Next saw a 2.81% lift.
There was also strong momentum for BT Group and Melrose Industries, up 2.66% and 2.35%. The biggest faller was London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), down 2.56%, currently mired in an unseemly row about executive pay.
Bonus bickering
The Institutional Shareholder Services pressure group is encouraging shareholders not to pass a new pay package deal, including a heady ‘bonus opportunity’ for LSEG CEO David Schwimmer of 225% of his annual salary.
Elsewhere on the FTSE 100 there were 1.83% and 1.80% falls for Hikma Pharma and Intermediate Capital Group.
Share price positivity was more toned down on the FTSE 250 with a 0.12 total climb to 22,498. The two biggest climbers were Petropavlovsk and Syncona, up 4.47% and 4.29%.
Aston Martin Lagonda and Just Group shares both climbed 3.05%. Overseas, in the US the Dow is up 0.37% at 34,163 while the S&P 500 is 0.23% higher though the tech-heavy Nasdaq is down 0.08%.
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US banking earnings robust
There were a few Q1 US banking earnings today, with a positive shock for Citizens Financial, which announced earnings per share of $1.41, considerably above forecasts.
Several US banks are now trading substantially above 2020 share price lows, helped by the massive US stimulus and credit packages. Crucially, loan growth is looking more positive and credit card borrowing is showing signs of pick-up.
European bourses performed strongly, with the German DAX pushing 1.39% higher and the French CAC 40 up 0.93%. The Euro Stoxx 50 was up more than 1%. Bitcoin was down 1.72% but still within its seven-day high.
WTI Crude is trading at $63, down -0.71% and gold is 2.42% up at 1,778.
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