LONDON, July 23 ― London's FTSE 100 ended lower yesterday, weighed down by weakness in Unilever shares after it cut its full-year margin forecasts coupled with a fall in energy stocks, while the mid-cap index rose on a set of positive corporate results.
Unilever Plc was down 5.9 per cent after it warned that surging commodity costs would squeeze its full-year operating margin, overshadowing strong second-quarter sales growth. However, commentary from Bank of England's deputy governor Ben Broadbent helped calm some of the inflation fears after he said the current spike in prices is unlikely to create longer-term inflation pressures.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index has gained 7.9 per cent so far this year, helped by government stimulus and re-opening optimism, but is nearly 11 per cent away from its all-time high. It is still underperforming the mid-cap index, which is just 1.2 per cent away from its record high.