FTSE 100: Unilever leads the way; oil stocks slide

Unilever shares surged on Friday after Kraft Heinz confirmed it has made an offer for the London-listed consumer goods giant, which was declined.

The share rise helped pull the FTSE into positive territory.

Kraft noted recent speculation about a deal between the two and said it has made a “comprehensive proposal to Unilever about combining the two groups to create a leading consumer goods company with a mission of long-term growth and sustainable living”.

“While Unilever has declined the proposal, we look forward to working to reach agreement on the terms of a transaction. There can be no certainty that any further formal proposal will be made to the board of Unilever or that an offer will be made at all or as to the terms of any transaction.”

AstraZeneca shares also rose as the company reported positive results from its Phase III OLYMPIAD trial of its breast cancer treatment Lynparza (olaparib).

Patients treated with Lynparza showed a statistically-significant and clinically-meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) compared with those who received chemotherapy (capecitabine, vinorelbine or eribulin), the company said.

Oil producers were all lower after a rise in US crude stocks with BHP Billiton and Royal Dutch Shell lower as a result.

Market Movers

FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,284.95 0.10%
FTSE 250 (MCX) 18,633.38 -0.39%
techMARK (TASX) 3,344.91 0.25%

FTSE 100 - Risers

Unilever (ULVR) 3,756.00p 12.08%
Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB.) 7,122.00p 2.93%
Imperial Brands (IMB) 3,769.00p 2.86%
Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI) (CCH) 1,962.00p 2.82%
AstraZeneca (AZN) 4,628.50p 2.29%
Fresnillo (FRES) 1,537.00p 2.19%
Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 7,480.00p 1.77%
Compass Group (CPG) 1,473.00p 1.66%
Shire Plc (SHP) 4,829.50p 1.48%
Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) 2,224.00p 1.13%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Standard Chartered (STAN) 777.60p -3.77%
Anglo American (AAL) 1,338.50p -2.23%
Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 679.00p -2.09%
Antofagasta (ANTO) 831.00p -2.06%
Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 238.30p -2.05%
BHP Billiton (BLT) 1,391.00p -1.70%
Barclays (BARC) 234.40p -1.53%
Rio Tinto (RIO) 3,596.00p -1.52%
Royal Dutch Shell 'B' (RDSB) 2,192.50p -1.48%
Aviva (AV.) 495.30p -1.39%

FTSE 250 - Risers

Essentra (ESNT) 438.00p 4.15%
Indivior (INDV) 378.40p 3.33%
SEGRO (SGRO) 497.60p 3.02%
Ultra Electronics Holdings (ULE) 1,947.00p 2.20%
CLS Holdings (CLI) 1,645.00p 1.92%
Polymetal International (POLY) 992.00p 1.54%
Dunelm Group (DNLM) 631.00p 1.45%
Wizz Air Holdings (WIZZ) 1,681.00p 1.32%
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust (FGT) 673.50p 1.28%
Dairy Crest Group (DCG) 572.00p 1.24%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Inmarsat (ISAT) 607.00p -6.46%
Lancashire Holdings Limited (LRE) 710.50p -3.99%
Drax Group (DRX) 345.60p -3.73%
Cobham (COB) 110.90p -3.31%
Amec Foster Wheeler (AMFW) 455.10p -2.97%
Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) 244.70p -2.86%
Cairn Energy (CNE) 222.60p -2.84%
Rank Group (RNK) 202.30p -2.79%
Clarkson (CKN) 2,500.00p -2.68%
Ashmore Group (ASHM) 347.30p -2.44%