Investment accounts
Adult accounts
Child accounts
Choosing Fidelity
Choosing Fidelity
Why invest with us Current offers Fees and charges Open an account Transfer investments
Financial advice & support
Fidelity’s Services
Fidelity’s Services
Financial advice Retirement Wealth Management Investor Centre (London) Bereavement
Guidance and tools
Guidance and tools
Choosing investments Choosing accounts ISA calculator Retirement calculators
Share dealing
Choose your shares
Tools and information
Tools and information
Share prices and markets Chart and compare shares Stock market news Shareholder perks IPOs and placings
Pensions & retirement
Pensions, tax & tools
Saving for retirement
Approaching / In retirement
Approaching / In retirement
Speak to a specialist Creating a retirement plan Taking tax-free cash Pension drawdown Annuities Investing in retirement Investment Pathways
London pre-open: Stocks seen down on Middle East woes
(Sharecast News) - London stocks looked set for further losses on Thursday following downbeat sessions in the US and Asia as tensions in the Middle East continued to dent sentiment. The FTSE 100 was called to open 26 points lower at 7,562.
CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said: "European markets fell back yesterday as the political temperature in the Middle East ratcheted up further in the wake of the hospital bombing in Gaza.
"Even with evidence emerging that Israel probably wasn't responsible for the blast, the reality is that the truth of who was to blame no longer matters with the fog of war only serving to reinforce people's already entrenched positions.
"In the absence of a positive catalyst in the coming days there is a risk we could start to see further weakness if tensions escalate further. For the here and now European markets look set to open slightly lower, with Asia markets also trading sharply lower this morning."
In corporate news, homeware retailer Dunelm posted a 9% jump in first-quarter sales to £390m.
This was largely driven by volume, it said, noting that both stores and digital channels performed well.
Chief executive Nick Wilkinson said: "Our proposition, which offers an increasingly wide range of homewares products, continues to prove popular with customers, as we delivered another strong sales performance in Q1."
Deliveroo backed its full-year guidance as it posted a 5% increase in third-quarter gross transaction value (GTV).
The company pointed to continued GTV growth momentum in the UK and Ireland and an improvement in the international business.
Spire Healthcare said it had bought Vita, a market-leading provider of mental and physical health services in the UK, for around .£74m in cash.
Vita provides a range of NHS outpatient mental health talking therapies, musculoskeletal and dermatology services, with operational hubs in London and four regional centres in Bristol, Orpington, Oldham and Leicestershire
Share this article
Related Sharecast Articles
Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.
Award-winning online share dealing
Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.
Expert insights into investing your money
Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.
Policies and important information
Accessibility | Conflicts of interest statement | Consumer Duty Target Market | Consumer Duty Value Assessment Statement | Cookie policy | Diversity and Inclusion | Doing Business with Fidelity | Fidelity gender pay report | Investing in Fidelity funds | Legal information | Modern slavery | Mutual respect policy | Privacy statement | Remuneration policy | Security | Statutory and Regulatory disclosures | Whistleblowing policy
Please remember that past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance, the performance of investments is not guaranteed, and the value of your investments can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. When investments have particular tax features, these will depend on your personal circumstances and tax rules may change in the future. This website does not contain any personal recommendations for a particular course of action, service or product. You should regularly review your investment objectives and choices and, if you are unsure whether an investment is suitable for you, you should contact an authorised financial adviser. Before opening an account, please read the ‘Doing Business with Fidelity’ document which incorporates our client terms. Prior to investing into a fund, please read the relevant key information document which contains important information about the fund.
This website is issued by Financial Administration Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (FCA Register number 122169) and registered in England and Wales under company number 1629709 whose registered address is Beech Gate, Millfield Lane, Lower Kingswood, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 6RP.