FTSE higher as US stocks make solid start

Archived article

Please note that tax, investment, pension and ISA rules can change and the information and any views contained in this article may now be inaccurate.

The FTSE 100 was off its highs for the day but still made progress on Friday, closing as US stocks got off to a good start ahead of the presentation of the Biden's administration's budget to Congress.

By the close the index was up 0.2% to 7,033.76.

By 4.30pm UK time the S&P 500 was up 0.3% to 4,213.24.

Aerospace firm Senior gained 33% to 157.3p on Friday afternoon as news emerged of a rejected cash offer from Lone Star Global pitched at 176p per share.

Pharma giant AstraZeneca said Tagrisso had been approved in the European Union to treat patients with early-stage epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated non-small cell lung cancer. The approval by the European Commission was based on positive results from the ADAURA phase 3 trial.

AstraZeneca's share price dipped 0.6% to £80.46.

Care-based housing and healthcare REIT Civitas Social Housing said it had completed the acquisition of 10 supported living properties across Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk and Wales for £8.6 million.

The properties are leased to Inclusion Housing Community Interest company, with rents adjusted annually in line with CPI over the full-term and are subject to a lower limit of inflation of 0% per annum and a maximum indexation of 4% per annum.

Civitas Social Housing's share price gained 0.7% to 118.4p.

Irn-bru maker AG Barr said it had made a strong start to the new fiscal year, and the easing of lockdown restrictions have boosted its sales, with return of demand from hospitality and leisure sectors.

'While the pace and extent of the reopening of the hospitality sector varies by region, our Funkin business is already beginning to see the benefits, delivering on-trade sales that provide optimism for the sector's recovery,' the company said.

AG Barr's share price fell 1.5% to 522p.

All 19 resolutions at Oxford Biometrics were passed by shareholders at the company's AGM on 27 May, including a new directors' remuneration policy.

Some 80.94% of shareholders voted to replace the directors' remuneration policy approved in 2018 with a new policy as referred to in Resolution 3.

Its share price fell 1% to £11.40.

The Edinburgh Investment Trust declared a special dividend after reporting a net asset value returns that topped its benchmark as markets rebounded.

Fr the financial year ended 31 March 2021, net asset value on a total return basis was 34.8%. Compared with a total return of 26.7% for the FTSE All-Share Index, the company benchmark.

Edinburgh Investment Trust's share price rose 0.5% to 635p.