FTSE rallies as reopening ignites hopes

A few European countries have now successfully reopened some of their businesses, open markets and schools, all of which are operating again in the less hit European countries and as of Friday three US states have allowed gyms, beauty salons and hairdressers to restart operating. The world is now counting down the 14 day incubation period to see if case numbers and hospital admissions on both sides of the pond start will start rising again or whether this cautious step-by-step reopening really is the way out of the crisis.

On the FTSE the sectors worst hit by COVID are breathing slightly easier this morning, particularly airlines, insurers and luxury goods brands. Hopes that business will be back to normal relatively soon helped lift InterContinental Hotels, Carnival Group and Burberry to the top of the FTSE gainers.

Deutsche results lift banking sector

Banks are also trading higher after Deutsche Bank surprised with forecasts of a better-than-expected first-quarter profit despite loan loss provisions of €500m. Lloyds is trading up 3.5% and Barclays just over 3% although the volumes are slightly thinner than usual. Deutsche’s result has somewhat shaken investors’ perception that this quarter banks’ earnings will be exceptionally week. Banks like Barclays and Lloyds could end up building in loan loss provisions in the region of £1bn to protect themselves from an expected avalanche of bad loans due to follow the pandemic.

Focus on US tech

This week will be the busiest of the reporting season for US tech with all the big four – Amazon, Google, Apple and Microsoft all due to release their results. Of those, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft managed to keep their valuations above the $1 trillion mark during the crisis and only Google withdrew back to $900 million on concerns that its advertising business may take a corona-related hit.

StoneX Financial Ltd (trading as “City Index”) is an execution-only service provider. This material, whether or not it states any opinions, is for general information purposes only and it does not take into account your personal circumstances or objectives. This material has been prepared using the thoughts and opinions of the author and these may change. However, City Index does not plan to provide further updates to any material once published and it is not under any obligation to keep this material up to date. This material is short term in nature and may only relate to facts and circumstances existing at a specific time or day. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) financial, investment, legal, tax or other advice and no reliance should be placed on it.

No opinion given in this material constitutes a recommendation by City Index or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The material has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research. Although City Index is not specifically prevented from dealing before providing this material, City Index does not seek to take advantage of the material prior to its dissemination. This material is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation.

For further details see our full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. CFD and Forex Trading are leveraged products and your capital is at risk. They may not be suitable for everyone. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved by reading our full risk warning.

City Index is a trading name of StoneX Financial Ltd. Head and Registered Office: 1st Floor, Moor House, 120 London Wall, London, EC2Y 5ET. StoneX Financial Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales, number: 05616586. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA Register Number: 446717.

City Index is a trademark of StoneX Financial Ltd.

The information on this website is not targeted at the general public of any particular country. It is not intended for distribution to residents in any country where such distribution or use would contravene any local law or regulatory requirement.