UK Markets Advance Despite Higher-Than-Expected March Borrowing Figures

By 08:15 GMT, the blue-chip index had risen 0.2%, building on Wednesday’s 0.4% advance, while the more domestically-focused midcap index gained 0.3%.

Public Finance Data Reveals Higher Borrowing

British government borrowing for March came in at £16.9 billion ($21.1 billion), surpassing the £14.1 billion projected by economists in a Reuters poll. The Office for National Statistics also reported that public sector net debt stood at 99.3% of gross domestic product at the end of the 2023/24 financial year.

This higher-than-anticipated borrowing could potentially limit the government’s fiscal flexibility ahead of an election expected later this year, though market reaction to the data remained muted as investors focused on corporate developments.

Corporate Movements Drive Market Activity

Shares in Kingfisher saw a 0.6% increase after the home improvement retailer announced plans to return £300 million to shareholders through share buybacks and maintained its profit outlook for fiscal year 2024/25.

Meanwhile, Rentokil Initial experienced a substantial 12.1% jump, positioning it as the top performer among blue-chips after the pest control company reported first-quarter revenue growth of 3.1% and confirmed its full-year outlook.

Conversely, Tullow Oil faced a 2.5% decline following the company’s announcement that production was tracking toward the lower end of its guidance range for 2024.

Global Market Context

The positive sentiment in British markets aligned with broader European trends, as investors continued to process corporate earnings reports while keeping an eye on global economic indicators.

Market participants remain attentive to signals about potential interest rate cuts from major central banks, including the Bank of England, with upcoming economic data likely to influence monetary policy decisions in the coming months.

Analyst expectations suggest the first UK rate cut could come by summer, though much depends on inflation trajectory and broader economic performance in the second quarter.