KFG leads 100 with 4.29 percent gain

European equities markets were mixed to end the week on Friday.

The FTSE 100 added 0.17 percent to 5,172.89 in London, but the FTSE 250 dropped 0.61 percent to 9,306.93.

DIY retailer Kingfisher (LSE: KFG) led gainers on the 100 and turned in the best performance in the retail sector as it added 4.29 percent, while clothing retailer Next (LSE: NXT) also scored among the top five gainers on the index with a gain of 2.92 percent.

Meanwhile a mixed real estate sector also had two constituents among the top five gainers on the 100 as British Land Co (LSE: BLND) was up 3.33 percent and Hammerson (LSE: HMSO) was 2.57 percent higher on the session.

In the construction sector, Balfour Beatty (LSE: BBY) fell 5.82 percent for the worst day on the 100.

The energy sector was mixed, with Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW) turning the worst performance in the sector with a decline of 5.3 percent while Cairn Energy (LSE: CNE) also placed among the top five losers on the 100 as it dropped 3.12 percent.

The FTSE Eurofirst 300 was down 0.47 percent to 1,006.5 while the CAC-40 fell 0.19 percent to 3,827.84 and the Dax dropped 0.48 percent to 5,703.83 but the IBEX managed to add 0.05 percent to 11,777.3.

The automobile manufacturing sector was lower as Volkswagen (FWB: VOW) turned in the worst performance of the day on the Dax with a decline of 6.73 percent while Renault (Euronext: RNO) had the worst session on the CAC-40 as it fell 3.53 percent and Peugeot wasn’t far behind, dropping 3.33 percent.

Banks were mixed as Credit Agricole (Euronext: ACA) added 2.97 percent and Commerzbank (FWB: CBK) was up 1.13 percent, but Deutsche Bank (FWB: DBK; NYSE: DB) was down 2.54 percent and Societe Generale (Euronext: GLE) dropped 1.64 percent.

Air France-KLM (Euronext: AF; NYSE: AKH) had the best day on the CAC-40 as it added 4.35 percent.

Most markets in the Asia-Pacific region were lower on the session.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was 0.7 percent lower to 10,370.54 and the Topix index fell 0.01 percent to 939.44, but the Mothers market managed a gain of 0.9 percent to 461.56.

Big banks were higher, but the consumer finance sector saw significant declines after Aiful (TYO: 8515) unexpectedly said it will ask for a rescheduling of debt payments while it makes restructuring plans.

Aiful went untraded but ended the session 27.2 percent lower than its close on Thursday, while elsewhere in the sector, Promise (TYO: 8574) was down 0.8 percent and Take Fuji (TYO: 8564) dropped 9.5 percent.

Among bigger banks, Mitsubhisi UFJ (TYO: 8306) was up 2.5 percent while Sumitomo Mitusi Financial Group (TYO: 8316) added 2.1 percent and Mizuho Financial Group (TYO: 8411) gained 1 percent, but all three ended up between 3 and 7.5 percent lower than they began the week.

Tokyo markets will be closed through 23 September in recognition of public holidays, including Respect-for-the-Aged Day and the Autumnal Equinox.

In Australia, the Sydney Ordinaries fell 0.43 percent to 4,693.7 and the S&P/ASX200 was down 0.46 percent to 4,693.2, while the Hang Seng was 0.67 percent lower to 21,623.45, the Straits Times Index was down 0.92 percent to 2,647.91 and the Shanghai Composite dropped 3.19 percent to 2,962.67.

The Sensex was up 0.18 percent to 16,741.3 while the Kospi added 0.25 percent to 1,699.71 and the Taiex gained 0.66 percent to 7,526.55.

Wall Street saw gains in early afternoon trade in New York as the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.49 percent to 9,831.99, the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.33 percent to 2,133.84 and the S&P 500 was 0.3 percent higher to 1,068.7.

Story link: KFG leads 100 with 4.29 percent gain