Market Open: Marston’s Growth Target, Wickes Sales Growth

FTSE 100 opens flat as investors watch Middle East tensions. Marston’s and Wickes lead headlines while Brent crude eases and copper gains.

Market Overview

The FTSE 100 opened marginally lower, while European markets were mixed as the Euronext 100 edged higher and Germany’s DAX gained at the open. Overnight, US markets finished weaker, with the Nasdaq closing at 25,508.07 and the S&P 500 ending at 7,443.28 as investors monitored renewed security concerns in the Middle East, including shipping risks around the Strait of Hormuz and their potential impact on energy markets. The FTSE 100 opened 0.001 per cent lower, the Euronext 100 rose 0.04 per cent and the DAX gained 0.10 per cent.

Commodity markets remained in focus as geopolitical tensions continued to influence sentiment. Copper strengthened, while gold eased and Brent crude traded lower despite ongoing supply concerns. Natural gas edged higher. Against sterling, the US dollar and Swiss franc were little changed, the euro was steady, the Japanese yen and Australian dollar edged higher, while Bitcoin was higher.

Market Numbers

FTSE 100: Down (-0.001%), 10,524.25
Euronext 100: Up (+0.04%), 1,902.53
DAX: Up (+0.10%), 24,871.47
NASDAQ: Down, 25,508.07
S&P 500: Down, 7,443.28

In the Headlines

Trading update – Marston’s (LSE:MARS)
Marston’s said trading has been supported by stronger customer demand during the World Cup period and outlined plans to accelerate growth. The update suggests trading momentum has improved despite a challenging consumer backdrop, providing reassurance over the group’s outlook.

Retail update – Wickes (LSE:WIX)
Wickes reported second-quarter sales growth and maintained its full-year expectations. The update indicates continued resilience in consumer demand across its home improvement business despite ongoing economic uncertainty.

Currencies (vs GBP)

USD: Down (-0.00%), $1.3431
CHF: Down (-0.01%), Fr.1.0879
EUR: Unchanged (0.00%), €1.1765
JPY: Up (+0.00%), ¥218.244
AUD: Up (+0.01%), $1.9187
Bitcoin (BTC/GBP): Up, £49,235.60

Commodities

Copper: Up
Gold: Down
Brent Crude: Down
Natural Gas: Up