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FTSE 100 slips ahead of US earnings
The FTSE 100 opened lower as investors look ahead to a key batch of US tech earnings this week and despite better than forecast UK borrowing figures.
At 8.10am London's lead index stood at 7,879.48, down 32.72 points, or 0.41%, while the FTSE 250 fell to 19,165.09, down 61.85 points, or 0.32%.
The UK government borrowed £139.2bn in the full 2022-23 financial year, less than official forecasts expected as recently as March, providing a boost for the government at the start of a new financial year.
Borrowing was £13.2bn less than the Office for Budget Responsibility had forecast even after the second-highest borrowing number for March since records began in 1993, the Office for National Statistics said.
Revenues however were £4.1bn lower than OBR forecasts in 2022-23, suggesting economic performance was not as buoyant as the fiscal watchdog had expected.
The public sector’s net worth was in deficit by £605.8bn at the end of March, the ONS said.
For March, public sector net borrowing (PSNB ex) in March was £21.5bn, £16.3bn more than in March 2022, and the second-highest March borrowing since monthly records began in 1993.
In company news, Primark owner, Associated British Foods PLC (LSE:LON:ABF) reported flat profit at the half-year stage despite strong growth in sales as inflationary pressures ate into margins. Shares fell 3%.
Premier Inn owner Whitbread PLC (LSE:LON:WTB) has unveiled a £300mln share buyback helping push shares 4.5% to the good.
Profit and revenue at the budget hotel operator jumped ahead of pre-pandemic levels.
The company which runs 847 hotels in the UK and Germany reported £413mln in adjusted profits in the year to early March, up 15% from last year.
Annual revenues totalled £2.6bn, up 27% on pre-pandemic levels and Whitbread said it was boosted by reduced competition from independent hotels in the UK.
Building materials firm, Travis Perkins PLC (LON:TPK), said it delivered a “resilient” first-quarter trading performance with total sales down by 2.8% amid challenging market conditions. Shares slipped 2%.
In a first-quarter update for the three months to 31 March 2023, the Northamptonshire-based building materials firm said trading volumes in the Merchanting business were impacted by weakness in the new build housing and domestic repair, maintenance, and improvement markets.
Nick Roberts, chief executive, said: “The timely actions taken to prepare our businesses for a lower demand environment mean that we continue to expect to deliver a full-year performance in line with market expectations.”
Travis Perkins sees full year in line despite challenging market conditions
Building materials firm, Travis Perkins PLC (LON:TPK), said it delivered a “resilient” first-quarter trading performance with total sales down by 2.8% amid challenging market conditions. Shares slipped 2%.
In a first-quarter update for the three months to 31 March 2023, the Northamptonshire-based building materials firm said trading volumes in the Merchanting business were impacted by weakness in the new build housing and domestic repair, maintenance, and improvement markets.
Nick Roberts, chief executive, said: “The timely actions taken to prepare our businesses for a lower demand environment mean that we continue to expect to deliver a full-year performance in line with market expectations.”
Trading was stronger in the commercial, industrial, and public sector markets, which represent just under half of the group’s end market exposure, which saw more resilient demand.
Travis Perkins said merchanting sales price inflation moderated from the second half of 2022 but remained elevated at 9.0% mainly driven by the rollover of price increases from prior year but also reflective of pass-through of further manufacturer increases on some key product lines in 2023
Overall, Merchanting total sales were down by 4.7% in the quarter.
Toolstation delivered a good performance in the first quarter with total sales growth of 8.6% and like-for-like sales growth of 4.6% with sales in Europe up 14%.
Rising costs eat into AB Foods' profits
Associated British Foods reported flat profit at the half-year stage despite strong growth in sales as inflationary pressures ate into margins.
For the 24 weeks ended to March 4, 2023, group revenue reached £9.6bn, up 17%, but adjusted pre-tax profit at £667mln was flat when compared to last year’s £666mln.
“Inflation dominated the economic and commercial environment for all our businesses,” said chief executive George Weston.
In Food sales increased across all businesses, up 23% to £5.3bn while Primark sales rose 19% to £4.2bn reflecting good growth in all countries.
“We chose not to recover all the input cost inflation in Primark and actions on price in our Food businesses lagged input cost inflation as usual, and margin declined in the first half as a result,” Weston added.
In Food, the firm highlighted an exceptionally strong adjusted operating profit performance in Ingredients, up 62%.
AB Foods said sugar crop and inflationary challenges were offset by a strong Illovo performance.
In Primark, adjusted operating profit totalled £351m with a margin of 8.3%.
The firm plans a push into the southern states of the US including a new store in Texas. To support this AB Foods is locating its second US distribution centre in Jacksonville Florida and construction is progressing well.
It is also restructuring its Primark business in Germany to return it to profitability as well as open new stores.
For the full year, adjusted operating profit in its Food businesses is expected to be modestly ahead of last year while Primark adjusted operating profit is also seen "broadly in line with the previous financial year."
At Primark, AB Foods said: "We expect like-for-like sales growth in the second half although we expect that growth to moderate from that in the first half."
The dividend was raised 3% to 14.2p.
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