FTSE 100 Competition Results week 11

FTSE_100_WEEK_ELEVEN_RESULTS.pdf

FTSE 100 opened the week on 7995.58
FTSE 100 closed the week on 7895.85

It was not the best of week’s on the FTSE 100. Only 33 of the 100 constituents were up which of course means two thirds lost ground. On Tuesday the FTSE suffered its sharpest one-day fall since last July as global tensions remained at the forefront of investors’ minds.

Amid tensions surrounding Iran, Monday had seen miners and energy giants lose value, in a reversal of Friday’s industrial-fuelled rally.

Oil prices dropped, as investors continued to weigh up the possibility of conflict in the Middle East escalating, following Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel over the weekend.

Stocks moved higher again amid continued hopes of the Middle East conflict de-escalating, while fresh data showed UK inflation eased to its lowest level in more than two years.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the jobless rate jumped to 4.2% in the three months to February – the highest level for nearly six months – and showed higher-than-expected regular wage growth, excluding bonuses, at 6%.

Towards the end of the week a sea of green washed over global stock markets in calmer days of trading, while the FTSE 100 took off thanks to gains for top airlines. It was given a lift by IAG Group, the owner of British Airways and airlines Iberia and Aer Lingus, which saw its share price soar by more than 5%.

This week’s biggest risers on the FTSE 100
Mondi plc +6.63% (paper group pulls bid for rival DS Smith)
International Consolidated Airlines Group +4.21% (Airline still in post lockdown travel boom)
Imperial Brands Group +3.44% (solid trading lifts tobacco giant)
Croda International +2.48% (chemical firm bounces back after fall)
Severn Trent +2.42% (broker upgrades water firm’s outlook)

This week’s biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 
DS Smith -13.00% (bid war hopes fade as Mondi walks away)
Rentokil Initial plc -6.69% (weaker US growth hits pest controller)
Pershing Square Holdings -6.61% (market volatility weighs on hedge funds)
Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust -5.95% (Mid East tensions knock investment firm)
Intermediate Capital Group plc -5.84% (Asset manager down on market turmoil)

No entrants have invested in Rentokil but then none selected Mondi or Severn Trent either.

Veronica Mackay and MacScot9 both slid nine places, the latter losing £2339 in a week. Dalgety47 was the Mover of the Week up nine places to 11th and Joni up seven to 17th. Those two along with Malcolm Hemingway were the only entrants to make gains this week.

Comrie Colliery leads going into the final week of our contest with a £949 advantage over Jim Aitken but the top ten remain the same entrants.

At the foot of the table there has been little movement with Dolphin Square consolidating 57th place and his chances of picking up the prize for finishing with the lowest value Investment Portfolio.