London's FTSE 100 made a low-key start to what looks on paper to be a low-key week.
Blue chips were down by around twelve points at 8,298 in early deals with retailer Frasers topping the gainers, possibly on the demise of Ted Baker.
Housebuilders were also in the spotlight as Rightmove reported that the cut in interest rates by the Bank of England has led to an immediate surge in buyers returning to the housing market. Following an 11% uptick in July, the number of prospective buyers contacting estate agents has climbed by 19% since the first of August, the property portal said Monday.
Housebuilders Barratt Developments and Redrow meanwhile are set to complete their £2.5 billion merger by the end of the week, they said in a statement today.
Trading platform Plus500 was a good early riser after stating it expects its full-year performance to be “ahead of current market expectations” after a robust set of interim results.