FTSE 100 movers: Auto insurers, miners pace gains

Sabre Insurance Group

138.00p

16:40 27/12/24

-0.58%

-0.80p

Precious metals miner Fresnillo topped the leaderboard on Tuesday with shares finding a bid after hitting a 52-week low during the previous session, mimicking movements in the price of silver.

Auto insurers Admiral and Direct Line Group were also higher, riding on the back of gains in peer Sabre Insurance which posted half-year profits before tax of £32.0m, for a 14% gain versus a year ago, topping analysts' forecasts.

In particular, analysts hailed its "strong" combined ratio, which fell to 68.6%, versus 71.7% in the comparable year-ago period.

Miners were also strong, following a report that US Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, and his Chinese counterpart, prime minister Liu He, had held talks aimed at restarting trade negotiations.

Separately, China's Politburo said officials would focus more on buttressing economic growth.

On the other side of the ledger, Just Eat pace losses with Markets.com's Neil Wilson saying the company's earnings were "looking suitably well nourished, but as feared costs are rising and the question marks over the pivot towards offering delivery remain."

FTSE 100 - Risers

Fresnillo (FRES) 1,042.50p 4.23%
Admiral Group (ADM) 1,987.50p 4.07%
Anglo American (AAL) 1,739.00p 3.27%
Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG) 343.90p 3.24%
Glencore (GLEN) 334.50p 2.94%
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 710.00p 2.39%
Evraz (EVR) 559.00p 2.16%
AstraZeneca (AZN) 5,871.00p 2.02%
Imperial Brands (IMB) 2,922.00p 1.94%
Antofagasta (ANTO) 1,003.00p 1.91%