By Ankika Biswas
(Reuters) -UK’s benchmark FTSE 100 dipped on Thursday, dragged down by miners’ stocks amid prospects of global monetary policy tightening lasting for longer, while events organiser Informa jumped on a strong earnings outlook.
The resource-heavy FTSE 100 fell 0.1% at 0805 GMT, while the domestically focused FTSE 250 midcap index was little changed.
The ECB is seen raising rates to their highest level in 22 years later in the day and leave the door open to more hikes, a day after the U.S. Federal Reserve left rates unchanged but projected rates rising by half a percentage point by 2023 end.
With the Bank of England (BoE) also poised to raise rates by 25-basis-points next week, investors have struggled to balance maintaining exposure to rising equities against possible headwinds from tighter monetary policies.
The FTSE 100 is down 0.5% so far this quarter after rising for two quarters, during which it jumped nearly 11% – its strongest rise over two quarters since early 2021.
“UK stocks will remain under pressure while we have a low growth environment at the same time, as both monetary policy and fiscal policy are being tightened and households are seeing their real disposable incomes continuing to erode,” said Stuart Cole, chief macro economist, Equiti Capital.
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“In this environment, it is hard to be bullish on stocks.”
Miners fell 0.4% on lower metal prices after China’s economy stumbled in May. [MET/L]
Informa jumped 3.3% on raising its annual profit and revenue outlook, boosting the media sector by 1%, while online fashion retailer ASOS soared 13.4% on returning to profitability.
Technology company Halma slumped 5.1% to the bottom of the FTSE 100, on disappointing annual margins outlook.
Insurer Legal & General fell 2.2% after hiring Banco Santander’s Antonio Simoes as its new CEO.
(Reporting by Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
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