23 February 2021 | 08:45am
StockMarketWire.com - UK stocks opened higher on Tuesday, even as the unemployment rate rose, as some large local companies released mixed earnings results.
At 0827, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 21.22 points, or 0.3%, at 6,633.46.
The rise marked a continuing of upward momentum from Monday afternoon after Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a blueprint for lifting Britain s Covid-19 lockdowns
The UK unemployment rate rose to 5.1% in the three months through December, as expected, up from 5.0% previously.
Banking giant HSBC fell 1.9% to 423.6p as it reported a 34% drop in annual profit owing to higher credit losses and lower interest rates.
23 February 2021 | 16:34pm
StockMarketWire.com - The FTSE 100 traded flat a little above the 6,600 mark despite US tech stocks tanking for a second day on valuation concerns and as investors grew concerned mounting inflation might prompt interest rate increases.
By 4.30pm UK time the S&P 500 was down 0.6% to 3,852.59 and the more tech-biased NASDAQ index was off by 1.4% having earlier lost as much as 3% of its value.
The UK unemployment rate rose to 5.1% in the three months through December, as expected, up from 5.0% previously.
Banking giant HSBC fell 1% to 427.3p as it reported a 34% drop in annual profit owing to higher credit losses and lower interest rates.