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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.

Sector movers: Defensives drag with miners and insurers acting as an offset

(Sharecast News) - Defensive issues dragged on the FTSE 350 following a lower-than-expected reading on US consumer prices the day before that led some investors to shift a tad towards cyclicals. A further advance for cable to 1.1788 weighed further on investor sentiment.

Against that backdrop, Defence stocks were at the bottom of the pile, possibly after America's top general told CNBC that he saw a possibility for diplomatic talks between Kyiv and Moscow.

Pharma and Tobacco stocks were lower alongside.

So too retailers, after the Office for National Statistics reported a 0.6% month-on-month drop in UK gross domestic product for the month of September (consensus: -0.4%).

Going the other way, news that the People's Republic of China had eased some Covid-19 curbs boosted miners and was behind renewed strength in the pound.

Life insurance also did well, benefitting from the wider underlying risk-on move.

Aston Martin shares were also moving higher, boosting the auto sector with it, on news of insider buying.

Top performing sectors so far today

Leisure Goods 18,643.95 +5.80%

Automobiles & Parts 1,565.54 +5.30%

Life Insurance 6,616.56 +3.97%

Industrial Metals & Mining 7,424.44 +3.84%

Personal Goods 33,084.20 +2.08%

Bottom performing sectors so far today

Aerospace and Defence 4,479.59 -5.23%

Retailers 3,145.39 -4.53%

Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology 19,727.82 -4.39%

Tobacco 34,547.03 -4.10%

Media 8,957.54 -3.07%

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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.

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