The FTSE 100 (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE) continues to extend its slide — falling to its lowest level since mid December — with Lloyds adding to the market’s misery yesterday after news its PPI compensation bill is nearing £10 billion. The index slipped 45 points landing at 6466p, with fears that US may default on debt if a deal isn’t struck by 7 February. Worries over emerging markets also helped the index lose 5% in the last fortnight.
William Hill
William Hill (LSE: WMH) shares are hovering around a 52-week low at 337p, a fall of around 17% over the previous four weeks, having never really recovered from a heap of bad press.
Over £400 million was wiped off the market value of William Hill last month after David Cameron pledged to address worries over fixed-odds betting terminals. The terminals allow customers to bet £100 every 20 seconds, with even William Hill’s chief executive conceding they can cause harm to communities.
HSBC
Last week a “fat finger mistake” led to shares in HSBC (LSE: HSBA) (NYSE: HSBC.US) spiking 10%. The error, caused by entering too many zeroes into a quantity field, is thought to have cost the trader £400,000.
Trading of the bank’s shares was suspended for around five minutes, and since returning back to normal, the share price today stands at 621p. The stock has underperformed of late, falling 5% over the previous four weeks, hovering around a 52-week low. Investigations are currently ongoing into the possible rigging of global currency.
BG Group
Shares in BG Group (LSE: BG) (NASDAQOTH: BRGYY.US) plummeted 15% upon news that the energy provider would fall short of production targets. The volume decline of oil, particularly in the US, severely crimped earnings which fell by a third.
In total shares fell 21% over the last month with the company continuing to consider a range of asset sales.
