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FTSE 100 down more than 1% by midday
StockMarketWire.com
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The FTSE 100 slumped heavily by lunchtime on Tuesday as tobacco stocks fell on US regulatory threats and as the pound continued to rise on UK recovery hopes. By midday the index was down 1.1% to 6,921.16.
Sugar-to-clothes retailer Associated British Foods fell 3.5% to £23.74 having resumed its dividend payment, though at a lower rate, after lockdowns hurt budget fashion chain Primark.
The company's adjusted pre-tax profit for the 24 weeks to 27 February slumped 50% to £319 million and included a 90% drop in adjusted operating profit at Primark.
AB Foods declared an interim dividend of 6.2p per share, down from 12.05p year-on-year.
Mining company Rio Tinto fell 1% to £60.30 after it reported a drop in first-quarter iron ore production, citing wet weather, but maintained its annual guidance ranges for all of its products.
Output of the key steel-making ingredient from the group's Pilbara operations in Australia in the three months through March fell to 76.4 million tons, down 2% year-on-year and 11% compared to the fourth quarter of 2020.
Cybersecurity provider Avast rallied 3.9% to 489.9p as it lifted its annual revenue guidance citing continued demand in the first quarter.
For the full year 2021, Avast now expected to deliver at the upper end of its 6-to-8% organic revenue growth guidance, with a broadly flat operating margin.
Wealth manager Jupiter Fund Management shed 1.1% to 275p, having reported an uptick in first-quarter assets under management, though with net outflows in the period of £0.8 billion.
Price comparison service Moneysupermarket fell 2.4% to 264.2p as its first-quarter revenue dropped 20%.
Moneysupermarket, however, said it expected its full-year results to be in line with market expectations.
Russia-focused miner Petropavlovsk firmed 1.6% to 27.2p after it reported a 49% drop in first-quarter production but stuck to its annual output guidance.
Gem miner Petra Diamonds climbed 5.1% to 1.58p, having reported a 16% rise in third-quarter revenue, thanks to higher diamond prices, offsetting a 48% fall in production.
Cosmetics company Warpaint London rallied 12.8% to 121.8p on announcing that it had continued to experience improved trading conditions in the first quarter of 2021, with sales and margins both on the rise.
Story provided by StockMarketWire.com
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