On the day that US investors headed to the polls, European markets rebounded from Monday’s weakness as protests in Greece took place peacefully but data showed declining UK production.
The FTSE 100 index added 46 points to close 0.8% firmer at 5,885, while the FTSE 250 index rose 51 points or 0.4% to 12,081.
Strong US jobs numbers and signs that the Chinese economy may have landed softly and is gathering pace again helped to support European stocks. But all eyes are firmly fixed on the US, where the results of the presidential election will decide who gets to deal with the nation’s ‘fiscal cliff’.
Hidden amongst the US election euphoria were numbers from Marks & Spencer Group (MKS), which reported a near-10% fall in pretax profits over the six months to end-September. General merchandise, including women’s wear, was partly responsible for the decline, dropping 4.3% on a like-for-like basis, though food sales mitigated this effect by rising 1.1%. Group sales overall grew 0.9% in the first half, however, and the retailer maintained its interim dividend at 6.2p per share. Shares in M&S closed up 2.8%.
The top performer on the FTSE 100, however, was Resolution (RSL), which surged 7.0% on the back of a positive broker note.
Elsehwere, energy and basic materials stocks underperformed the broader market but investors still have appetite for other ‘risk assets’.
Evraz (EVR) featured higher up on the leaderboard, up 5.6%, while banks Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) and Barclays (BARC) gained 4.8% and 2.1%, respectively, and insurers Legal & General (LGEN) and Aviva (AV.) added 2.8% and 1.8%.