Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.
(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was down 0.8% at 7,026.84 in afternoon trade on Wednesday.
Tesco fell after saying it expects current year profits to be at the lower end of guidance as "significant uncertainties" persisted during the cost-of-living crisis. The company said it expects full-year retail adjusted operating profit of between £2.4bn and £2.5bn as it said profits fell 65% to £413m in the six months to August 27.
Ocado and Sainsbury's also lost ground.
Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said: "These are tough times for many, and Tesco is not alone in feeling the resultant strain.
"As the pressure increases on an increasingly cost-conscious and cash-strapped consumer, the notoriously competitive sector in which Tesco operates has moved up another gear.
"There has also been some normalisation in terms of shopping habits, with a general tendency for customers to return to stores. That being said, the momentum which the pandemic provided has resulted in an increase of over 50% for online sales compared to the pre-lockdowns period. Alongside a variety of offerings for the customer ranging from Click & Collect to convenience stores to the more popular online and store visits, the group is offering something for everyone and with a sharp focus on the customer budget."
Retailers more generally were under pressure, with Next, Frasers Group and JD Sports all lower.
FTSE 100 - Risers
Haleon (HLN) 277.90p 1.35%
Shell (SHEL) 2,365.00p 1.15%
BAE Systems (BA.) 822.40p 0.96%
Harbour Energy (HBR) 455.10p 0.93%
BP (BP.) 458.60p 0.90%
Imperial Brands (IMB) 1,896.50p 0.74%
Pearson (PSON) 907.60p 0.69%
Experian (EXPN) 2,771.00p 0.65%
Relx plc (REL) 2,283.00p 0.57%
Diageo (DGE) 3,802.50p 0.29%
FTSE 100 - Fallers
Ocado Group (OCDO) 470.90p -7.12%
Next (NXT) 4,786.00p -4.85%
Melrose Industries (MRO) 102.80p -4.55%
Airtel Africa (AAF) 132.40p -4.20%
Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 173.10p -4.15%
Smurfit Kappa Group (CDI) (SKG) 2,600.00p -3.70%
Frasers Group (FRAS) 663.50p -3.63%
JD Sports Fashion (JD.) 104.15p -3.52%
Tesco (TSCO) 202.70p -3.48%
Mondi (MNDI) 1,371.50p -3.21%