U.K. stocks fell on Tuesday and the pound rose broadly versus its major peers after official figures showed Britain’s unemployment rate unexpectedly fell for a second month in a row to 4.9 percent in the December to February period.
The benchmark FTSE 100 fell 42 points, or 0.6 percent, to 6,957 after closing 0.3 percent lower the previous day.
British American Tobacco shares slumped 6.3 percent and Imperial Brands plummeted 5.9 percent after reports that the Biden administration is considering requiring tobacco companies to reduce the nicotine levels in all cigarettes sold in the United States.
Real estate investment trust Hammerson lost 3.4 percent after it appointed Himanshu Raja as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, effective 26 April 2021.
Moneysupermarket.com declined 2.6 percent after its first-quarter revenue fell by 20 percent compared to 2020.
Associated British Foods was down 1.7 percent after the food processing firm reported a fall in pretax profit for the first half of fiscal 2021.
Market Analysis
FTSE 100 Edges Lower Amid Rise In Pound
2021-04-20 09:25:03
