1 March 2021 | 08:39am
StockMarketWire.com - UK stocks opened substantially higher on Monday after Johnson & Johnson s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine was approved for use in the US.
At 0823, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 104.78 points, or 1.6%, at 6,588.21.
The Johnson & Johnson shot, expected to be distributed this week, will be the first single-dose vaccine anywhere on the market.
Sentiment also was being buoyed by optimism US lawmakers will soon push through a huge stimulus package.
In local news, distribution and services group Bunzl fell 2.0% to 321.93p, even as it reported a rise in profit driven by sales of higher priced Covid-19-related products.
1 March 2021 | 11:54am
StockMarketWire.com - The FTSE 100 was up 1% to 6,550.74 by midday after the big recent sell-off in the bond market eased. US futures pointed to a rebound on Wall Street too.
Other positive drivers for the FTSE included the launch of a new Covid vaccine and progress towards passing a big US stimulus package. The Johnson & Johnson shot, expected to be distributed this week, will be the first single-dose vaccine anywhere on the market.
Halfords, a motoring and cycling products and services provider, upgraded its outlook on profit, citing a strong-than-expected performance during its fiscal fourth quarter of the year. The shares surged 11.7% to 323.5p.