After extending yesterday’s losses early on, the FTSE 100 is flat in the first hour of trading on Tuesday, sitting at 7,146.
“Some well-received corporate results helped balance out wider downbeat sentiment linked to the signs of a Chinese slowdown which emerged at the beginning of the week and the turmoil in Afghanistan,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.
UK jobs figures were slightly better than expected and didn’t contain anything to alert the market, while US retail sales are likely to draw focus later on.
“Investors will be looking for any signs of cracks in the American recovery in the retail numbers but will also alive to evidence of mounting inflationary pressures,” said Mould.
FTSE 100 Top Movers
BHP (6.18%), Just Eat (2.72%) and Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (1.10%) are leading the way on the FTSE 100 during the morning session on Tuesday.
Making up the bottom three of the UK index is IAG (-2.54%), Kingfisher (-2.43%) and Whitbread (-2.15%).