FTSE 100 subdued as Fed relief fades, earnings a mixed bag

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The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain
The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
  • Barclays dips after profit miss, banks down
  • CMC Markets slumps on cost warning
  • FTSE 100 flat, FTSE 250 adds 1.1%

July 28 (Reuters) - The UK's FTSE 100 was subdued on Thursday as mixed earnings and worries about the economic outlook outweighed relief following the U.S. Federal Reserve's less hawkish comments that had spurred an overnight rally on Wall Street.

The blue-chip index (.FTSE) closed flat at 7,345.25 points after notching a seven-week intraday high earlier in the session, while the domestically focused midcap index (.FTMC) added 1.1%.

Banks (.FTNMX301010) weighed on Britain's benchmark index, down 2.3%, with Barclays (BARC.L) losing 4.6% after the lender's first-half profit fell more than expected due to a 1.9 billion pound ($2.3 billion) hit for regulatory missteps. read more

Markets had taken some comfort earlier after the Fed on Wednesday raised interest rates as expected and eased some concerns over the pace of future rate hikes, but gloomy forecasts from Meta and Qualcomm and an early reading showing the U.S. economy contracted again quickly soured sentiment.

"We really need to look at growth data and earnings and I do think the momentum there is somewhat slower ... that's why we're not chasing this rally and maintaining a defensive stance," said Willem Sels, HSBC's global chief investment officer for private banking and wealth.

Britain's economy is under strain from an inflation rate that is heading for double digits, leaving the Bank of England in a dilemma about how aggressively it should raise interest rates at its August policy meeting next week.

"We expect the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to step up its fight against high inflation at its meeting," Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, wrote in a note.

"The MPC may imply that it is willing to raise rates by 50bps at future meetings if there are no signs that domestic price pressures are easing."

Smith+Nephew (SN.L) fell 11.4%, the biggest FTSE 100 loser, after the medical products maker warned of a lower annual profit margin due to surging inflation and supply chain challenges. read more

Shell (SHEL.L) edged 0.3% up as the oil major reported a record quarterly profit of $11.5 billion, lifted by a tripling of refining profits and strong gas trading. read more

Johnnie Walker whisky maker Diageo (DGE.L) climbed 2.6% after posting a 24% rise in full-year sales, as more people drank expensive spirits and bars reopened after pandemic lockdowns last year. read more

CMC Markets (CMCX.L) slumped 20.0% after the online trading platform warned of higher annual costs due to a weakening pound and higher professional fees and software expenses.

Reporting by Sruthi Shankar and Bansari Mayur Kamdar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and David Holmes

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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