The UK markets were firmly in negative territory throughout the trading day, with 98 out of 100 companies on the FTSE 100 benchmark index posting losses. The 1.85% plunge on the FTSE 100 erased much of the overall gains that were made throughout the last week. The index closed at 5,666. The FTSE 250, which tracks mid-cap companies, also fell by 2.3% and closed at 11,182.
Political uncertainty in France and Europe, combined with poor manufacturing data out of the eurozone contributed to sour market sentiment.
In the Netherlands, political turmoil ensued after prime minister Mark Rutte tendered his resignation, clearing the way for elections. “The situation in the Netherlands is concerning, purely on the basis that it is creating more political instability in Europe at a time when the markets want to see the eurozone’s fiscal firewalls maintained and strengthened,” said City Index’s chief market strategist, Joshua Raymond. “Prime Minister Mark Rutte failed to gain support from political ally, Geert Wilders, for EUR 14 billion to EUR 16 billion worth of budget cuts ... On top of this, failure to agree on budget cuts leaves the country's Triple-A credit rating at significant risk.”
Political shifts in France are also worrying investors. The future of France’s fiscal policy is uncertain if incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy loses his post as president to Francois Hollande. "The ... French elections has thrown up a few surprises and indicates voter dissatisfaction for the mainstream politicians as parties on the far left and right benefit from voter delusion," says Simon Denham, CEO at Capital Spreads. "French elections have often thrown up surprises in the past, and even though Hollande is ahead in the polls to win the head-to-head run off with Sarkozy, it could be a very tight call." The second-round election in France will take place in early May.
Various manufacturing data out of Germany and China also soured investor sentiment. Germany's Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) showed this morning that the country's manufacturing industry contracted at its fastest pace in nearly three years. "The fall was quite a shock, particularly given that investors were relying on German strength to drive growth within the eurozone," said Raymond. Meanwhile, PMI data out of China shows the country's manufacturing industry is still contracting, which is causing investors concerns.
The biggest loser on the FTSE 100 was the metal and mining giant, Vedanta Resources (VED), which saw its shares plunge by 5.7%. Rio Tinto (RIO) was not far behind, dropping by 4.8%. Financial shares also performed poorly.
Meanwhile, there were also some big moves happening on Monday on the mergers and acquisitions front:
- Vodafone (VOD) agreed to acquire Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CW.) for 38p per share, in cash, valuing the company at roughly GBP 1 billion. C&WW management and its largest shareholders have agreed to support the deal. (To read more about the deal, see "Vodafone Scores a Great Deal with C&WW Takeover".)
- AstraZeneca (AZN) announced an agreed offer of nearly $1.3 billion to takeover the Californian biotechnology company, Ardea Biosciences (RDEA).