Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

FTSE 100 movers: Ashtead falls on US switch talk

(Sharecast News) - FTSE 100 (UKX) 8,222.29 -0.28% Political instability in Europe hit market sentiment on Monday, with the UK's FTSE 100 falling to its lowest in nearly two weeks, dampened further by speculation that Ashtead could become the latest blue chip to leave the London market.

Ashtead was lower by midday, giving up earlier gains, amid speculation that the equipment rental firm is considering transferring its listing to the US, where it generates the bulk of its revenues.

AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould, said "no-one will want to see the company switch its listing to New York, especially as the firm is just one of 18 in the UK's elite index that can point to a record of growing its dividend every year for at least a decade".

However, he pointed out that there are "many good reasons" why firms might switch their listing to overseas. "They may have a lot of staff there and incentivising them with US-listed shares or options on them could be simpler for a host of reasons, including tax and currencies. They may wish to have US-listed stock available to them as a currency for making acquisitions. And they may simply have a substantial portion of their business there. This is very definitely the case with Ashtead."

Market Movers

FTSE 100 - Risers

M&G (MNG) 203.70p 2.72% Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 463.00p 1.34% National Grid (NG.) 879.00p 1.13% BP (BP.) 467.90p 1.12% CRH (CDI) (CRH) 6,140.00p 0.99% Fresnillo (FRES) 564.00p 0.89% Standard Chartered (STAN) 751.80p 0.78% Flutter Entertainment (DI) (FLTR) 14,925.00p 0.78% Glencore (GLEN) 473.05p 0.70% Antofagasta (ANTO) 2,160.00p 0.70%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Smith (DS) (SMDS) 361.20p -2.48% Rentokil Initial (RTO) 412.10p -2.21% Compass Group (CPG) 2,193.00p -2.10% Haleon (HLN) 323.40p -2.09% Convatec Group (CTEC) 246.60p -2.07% Diploma (DPLM) 4,128.00p -1.95% NATWEST GROUP (NWG) 310.80p -1.92% St James's Place (STJ) 512.00p -1.73% Admiral Group (ADM) 2,683.00p -1.72% Diageo (DGE) 2,624.50p -1.70%

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

FTSE 100 movers: Spirax stands out; Convatec gives back some gains
(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was up 0.5% at 8,069.27 in afternoon trade on Thursday.
FTSE 100 movers: ICG slides; Smiths Group up on results
(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was down 0.3% at 8,005.49 in afternoon trade on Wednesday.
FTSE 250 movers: Close Bros slides; Babcock up on global instability
(Sharecast News) - FTSE 250 (MCX) 20,363.75 -0.31%
FTSE 100 movers: Fresnillo loses its shine; Convatec surges
(Sharecast News) - London's FTSE 100 was down 1.1% at 8,039.06 in afternoon trade on Tuesday.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.