By Carla Mozee, MarketWatch
EasyJet gets an upgrade
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- U.K. stocks slipped Friday and moved
toward a weekly loss, as energy and mining shares came under
pressure.
The FTSE 100 fell 0.1% to 6,886.77, looking at a fourth
consecutive decline. It was also on track for a 2% decline from
last Friday, which would marks the index's third weekly loss in
four weeks.
The heavily weighted natural-resources group traded in the red,
alongside a fall in oil and metals prices that came as the dollar
(DXY) rose against major rivals. Shares of miners Randgold
Resources Ltd. and Anglo American PLC was down 2.8% and 2.5%,
respectively. Oil major BP PLC lost 0.7%.
Antofagasta PLC pulled back 1.5% as the copper miner said it has
suspended operations at three mines because of heavy rains in the
Atacama Desert in northern Chile. "[N]ormal operations are expected
to resume as soon as the situation improves," said Antofagasta in a
statement.
But the best performer was EasyJet PLC , climbing 2.6% following
an upgrade to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital
Markets. "To us, beyond [first-half] trading ... we think the
summer intra-Europe airline outlook has become more positive," said
analysts.
Shares of British Airways parent International Consolidated
Airlines Group gained, up 2%.
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