LONDON (ShareCast) - - Quiet day on the macro front
- Capita, Severn Trent fall after CEO exits
- Aberdeen jumps after annual results, acquisition
- Petrofac slumps on cautious guidance
techMARK 2,636.54 -0.48%
FTSE 100 6,682.77 -0.16%
FTSE 250 15,223.14 -0.15%
Markets opened slightly lower on Monday morning as investors showed caution in light of a quiet day on the macroeconomic front, though boardroom changes and corporate earnings releases were causing a few heavyweight stocks to move early on.
Outsourcing group Capita was a heavy faller after announcing that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Paul Pindar has called it quits after 26 years with the firm. Severn Trent was also lower after saying that CEO Tony Wray would retire next year and be replaced by the current head of BT's Openreach operations.
Aberdeen Asset Management was heading the other way with the stock surging after the fund manager lifted its dividend by 39% as annual profits and revenues grew. Oilfield services firm Petrofac sunk into the red after the firm gave a cautious near-term outlook.
Nevertheless, it was a quiet start for markets in London with investors looking ahead to the minutes of October's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting due to be released on Wednesday.
Although few are still expecting the Fed to begin scaling back its asset purchase programme this year - especially after Fed Chair nominee Janet Yellen's dovish comments last week - investors will be looking out for hints of a potential timeframe for the 'taper'.
"As for today, it’s going to be relatively quiet, with no major economic releases due out of the eurozone or the US," said Market Analyst Craig Erlam from Alpari.
"We will hear from a couple of Fed members later on today, including William Dudley and Charles Plosser. Dudley is a voting member on the FOMC and a well known dove, so any comments on the potential winding up of asset purchases could have a significant impact on the markets, especially if he hints at earlier-than-expected tapering."
Capita, Severn Trent fall on CEO exits; Aberdeen rockets
FTSE 100 outsourcing group Capita said it is on track to deliver strong growth in 2013 after robust sales and acquisitions made during the period, but shares fell as it confirmed that long-standing CEO Paul Pindar is to step down in early 2014.
Pindar, who has ran the firm since 1999, will be replaced by Deputy Chief Executive Andy Parker from February 28th 2014. He is leaving Capita to "establish a portfolio of private equity opportunities", the group announced.
Utilities group Severn Trent also fell after saying that Tony Wray would retire as CEO next spring, after serving in that position since 2007. Liv Garfield will be his successor, leaving BT where she served as the CEO of Openreach. The latter was also trading lower this morning after the news.
Aberdeen soared early on after saying that annual pre-tax profit jumped 39% to £482.7m in the year to September 30th with net revenue up 24% to £1.07bn. The full-year dividend was raised by 39% to 16p per share. The company also announced this morning that it would acquire Scottish Widows Investment Partnership Group from Lloyds.
Others in the financial sector were limiting the downside on markets this morning with Standard Chartered, Lloyds and HSBC making gains early on.
Petrofac saw its share price drop sharply after saying that net income info 2014 would show "flat to modest growth year-on-year". The company also said that targets for 2015 were dependent on the timing of certain contracts.
IAG was a high riser as investors digest Friday's upwardly revised profit guidance for 2015. Vedanta was also higher, rebounding after some heavy falls following its first-half report released the previous session.
Power systems group Rolls-Royce gained after receiving a $5bn order for Trent XWB engines to power 50 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft. The company called it a "significant order […] from a valued customer".
FTSE 100 - Risers
Aberdeen Asset Management (ADN) 486.00p +13.87%
Standard Chartered (STAN) 1,481.50p +1.75%
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 367.70p +1.52%
Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 76.16p +1.03%
Vedanta Resources (VED) 964.50p +0.94%
Glencore Xstrata (GLEN) 326.65p +0.80%
HSBC Holdings (HSBA) 691.60p +0.67%
Antofagasta (ANTO) 815.50p +0.43%
Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 1,229.00p +0.41%
easyJet (EZJ) 1,269.00p +0.32%
FTSE 100 - Fallers
Petrofac Ltd. (PFC) 1,258.00p -12.58%
Croda International (CRDA) 2,329.00p -1.48%
CRH (CRH) 1,569.00p -1.38%
Capita (CPI) 969.50p -1.37%
Pearson (PSON) 1,320.00p -1.35%
Reed Elsevier (REL) 877.00p -1.24%
Admiral Group (ADM) 1,269.00p -1.17%
Fresnillo (FRES) 930.50p -1.17%
Melrose Industries (MRO) 302.60p -1.14%
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) 1,847.00p -1.12%
FTSE 250 - Risers
Kentz Corporation Ltd. (KENZ) 552.50p +2.50%
Fidelity China Special Situations (FCSS) 105.50p +2.03%
Serco Group (SRP) 426.90p +1.98%
Wetherspoon (J.D.) (JDW) 710.50p +1.72%
RPC Group (RPC) 492.70p +1.59%
Imagination Technologies Group (IMG) 243.90p +1.58%
Betfair Group (BET) 1,016.00p +1.50%
Dignity (DTY) 1,350.00p +1.35%
Schroder Asia Pacific Fund (SDP) 250.30p +1.29%
National Express Group (NEX) 257.20p +1.26%
FTSE 250 - Fallers
Aveva Group (AVV) 2,330.00p -9.20%
Perform Group (PER) 425.50p -2.34%
Oxford Instruments (OXIG) 1,463.00p -2.14%
NMC Health (NMC) 365.00p -1.88%
Computacenter (CCC) 587.50p -1.59%
Ted Baker (TED) 1,857.00p -1.59%
Supergroup (SGP) 1,118.00p -1.41%
Essentra (ESNT) 764.50p -1.35%
Bellway (BWY) 1,387.00p -1.35%
African Barrick Gold (ABG) 192.20p -1.23%
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