FTSE 100 movers: Croda jumps, miners and financials provide a boost

(Sharecast News) - Strong gains from the mining and financial sectors, and individual performances from heavyweights Croda and BP, were providing a big lift to the top-tier index on Wednesday. Leading the risers with a gain of more than 7% was specialty chemicals outfit Croda after reporting an increase in first-quarter sales and reiterating its full-year profit forecasts. While acknowledging increased geopolitical uncertainty and the introduction of global trade tariffs, the company said its localised manufacturing and procurement strategy provided insulation, adding that it was assessing the impact with plans to apply a tariff surcharge if needed.

Energy major BP was up nearly 3% after hedge fund and activist investor Elliott disclosed a stake of more than 5% and raised pressure on management to increase spending cuts and improve free cash flow.

With the exception of precious metals stocks, miners were performing well as risk appetite returned, with heavyweights Glencore, Anglo American and Antofagasta among the best performers.

Financial stocks, which had recently also been weighed down by weaker economic prospects on the back of escalating trade tensions, also gained, including HSBC, Standard Chartered and Barclays.

Bucking the trend were precious metal miner Fresnillo as gold prices slumped nearly 3%, pulling back after hitting fresh record highs the previous session. Fresnillo also fell after reporting a 10% decline in attributable silver production and a 24% drop in gold output in the first quarter, compared with three months earlier.

Meanwhile, consumer products group Reckitt underwhelmed despite maintaining full-year guidance. In a first-quarter update. the company reported a 3.1% rise in like-for-like net revenue for its core business. Shares were down nearly 7%.

FTSE 100 - Risers

Croda International (CRDA) 2,927.00p 7.45% Antofagasta (ANTO) 1,672.00p 6.80% Anglo American (AAL) 2,161.50p 6.27% Standard Chartered (STAN) 1,086.00p 6.21% CRH (CDI) (CRH) 6,652.00p 5.69% Glencore (GLEN) 270.00p 5.35% Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV (PSH) 3,532.00p 5.06% Barclays (BARC) 294.15p 5.05% Spirax Group (SPX) 6,075.00p 4.92% HSBC Holdings (HSBA) 838.30p 4.75%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Reckitt Benckiser Group (RKT) 4,614.00p -6.79% Fresnillo (FRES) 982.00p -5.49% Severn Trent (SVT) 2,673.00p -3.19% BAE Systems (BA.) 1,658.50p -2.76% National Grid (NG.) 1,067.50p -2.33% Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 256.60p -2.28% Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 400.90p -2.10% United Utilities Group (UU.) 1,093.00p -2.06% Vodafone Group (VOD) 70.72p -2.05% Next (NXT) 11,890.00p -1.98%