London close: M&S helps stocks to brush off downbeat services data

5th Nov 2014 16:11

Markets shrugged off fresh economic woes and gold price falls on Wednesday, helped by positive news from retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S).Continental European service sector data came in weak and UK service data also surprised on the downside, slowing to a 17-month low in October.Fears that the decline could be linked to a general global economic downturn rose as the pace of growth in the US service sector cooled in October after strong momentum in the last few months.But the FTSE 100 Index raced ahead 85.17 points to 6539.14 as M&S posted a rise in underlying first-half profit for the first time in four years, raised guidance on its non-food gross margin for 2014-15 and hiked its dividend.Investors in M&S, whose shares led the Footsie risers with a 39.4p gain to 444.1p, have become concerned about the retailer's ability to revive its clothing sales despite ongoing strength in food.David Madden at spread-betting firm IG said: "M&S chief executive Marc Bolland will certainly remember the fifth of November as it was the day he showed traders his turnaround plan was working."Elsewhere in corporate news, Associated British Foods got 159p tastier at 2942p after Citigroup lifted its stance on the stock from 'neutral' to 'buy' on prospects for its fast-growing retail chain Primark.Falls in the price of gold to less than $1150 an ounce hit shares in Randgold Resources by 40p to 3765p while lower silver prices knocked Fresnillo's stock by 13p to 684.5p.Kitchen manufacturer and distributor Howden Joinery was among a number of companies that pleased investors with forecasts of better-than-expected profits. Its shares lifted 28.1p to 371p.But pub group Wetherspoon lost its fizz by 34p to 798p after reporting lacklustre trading last month.Market MoverstechMARK 2,793.92 +1.48%FTSE 100 6,539.14 +1.32%FTSE 250 15,526.33 +0.86%FTSE 100 - RisersMarks & Spencer Group (MKS) 444.10p +9.74%Meggitt (MGGT) 473.20p +7.55%Tullow Oil (TLW) 489.50p +6.90%Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets (MRW) 162.40p +5.94%Associated British Foods (ABF) 2,942.00p +5.71%United Utilities Group (UU.) 865.50p +2.79%Standard Life (SL.) 395.90p +2.72%Aberdeen Asset Management (ADN) 442.00p +2.67%Travis Perkins (TPK) 1,656.00p +2.60%Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI) (CCH) 1,379.00p +2.60%FTSE 100 - FallersAdmiral Group (ADM) 1,296.00p -2.99%Kingfisher (KGF) 285.00p -2.83%Fresnillo (FRES) 684.50p -1.86%Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 3,765.00p -1.05%Standard Chartered (STAN) 936.00p -1.00%Babcock International Group (BAB) 1,068.00p -0.93%ITV (ITV) 202.70p -0.10%Whitbread (WTB) 4,341.00p -0.05%FTSE 250 - RisersOcado Group (OCDO) 296.00p +12.76%Howden Joinery Group (HWDN) 371.00p +8.19%AO World (AO.) 191.10p +5.29%Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 1,970.00p +5.29%Senior (SNR) 273.00p +4.80%Cairn Energy (CNE) 150.00p +4.75%Afren (AFR) 73.00p +4.73%Synergy Health (SYR) 1,973.00p +4.67%Dunelm Group (DNLM) 874.00p +4.48%Ophir Energy (OPHR) 186.10p +4.37%FTSE 250 - FallersStock Spirits Group (STCK) 225.00p -25.10%esure Group (ESUR) 222.00p -7.31%Centamin (DI) (CEY) 48.99p -6.24%Aveva Group (AVV) 1,353.00p -5.38%African Barrick Gold (ABG) 200.50p -4.71%Wetherspoon (J.D.) (JDW) 798.00p -4.09%Hochschild Mining (HOC) 93.45p -3.66%Fisher (James) & Sons (FSJ) 1,238.00p -3.05%NMC Health (NMC) 500.00p -2.82%Countrywide (CWD) 451.20p -2.23%FTSE TechMARK - RisersTorotrak (TRK) 15.75p +10.53%RM (RM.) 148.00p +5.71%Puricore (PURI) 31.50p +3.28%Vectura Group (VEC) 120.75p +2.99%Promethean World (PRW) 28.38p +2.25%XP Power Ltd. (DI) (XPP) 1,425.00p +2.15%Kofax Limited (DI) (KFX) 392.50p +1.95%Dialight (DIA) 856.00p +1.90%Anite (AIE) 85.75p +1.48%Innovation Group (TIG) 27.25p +0.93%FTSE TechMARK - FallersOptos (OPTS) 205.75p -6.79%Filtronic (FTC) 22.00p -3.30%Gresham Computing (GHT) 62.50p -1.57%Ricardo (RCDO) 625.50p -1.11%Skyepharma (SKP) 336.25p -0.37%E2V Technologies (E2V) 161.50p -0.31%