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The UK stock market’s benchmark FTSE 100 is roughly flat about an hour past noon on Monday, with stocks turning in a mixed performance. Shares of mining companies are exhibiting weakness due to data showing a slowdown in China’s industrial output in the month of August.<\/p>\n
Investors are awaiting the crucial policy announcements from the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England later this week.<\/p>\n
The BoE is expected to hold rates steady, while the U.S. Federal Reserve is widely seen lower its interest rate by 25 basis points, if not by a larger quantum.<\/p>\n
The benchmark FTSE 100 was down 1.60 points at 9,289.59 a little while ago. <\/p>\n
Sainsbury (J) is gaining about 5.3%. The company has confirmed that it has ended talks to sell Argos to JD. Com, citing unfavourable terms. It is now expected that new suitors will emerge to acquire Argos.<\/p>\n
Marks & Spencer is up nearly 3% and Centrica is rising 2.8%. Beazley is up 2.7%, while Endeavour Mining, ICG, DCC and Persimmon are gaining 2 to 2.5%.<\/p>\n
BT Group and AstraZeneca are down 2.5% and 2.3%, respectively. Fresnillo, Airtel Africa, GSK and Haleon are lower by 1.1 to 1.3%. <\/p>\n
UK house prices dropped in September after several months of muted growth as competitive pricing became more vital in the south, the property website Rightmove said Monday.<\/p>\n
Average asking prices edged down 0.1% from the previous year in September. The fall was driven by London and the south, as the south underperformed the rest of region.<\/p>\n
The number of homes coming for sale in the south increased 9% on 2024, compared with 2% elsewhere. It took an average of five days longer to find a buyer.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, overall the number of sales being agreed was 4% ahead of this time last year. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n