The FTSE 100 (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE) saw its four-week winning streak come to an end, dropping 26 points to end Friday on 6,708, after upbeat US jobs data sent fears of economic stimulus tapering rippling across the markets once again. If quantitative easing is curtailed earlier than expected, the chance of the FTSE regaining its 13-year high of 6,876 before year-end could recede, but it did end the week only 168 points short.
But which shares would have boosted your portfolio last week? Here are three of the big winners:
Randgold Resources
Gold miners haven’t exactly been the flavour of the month for, well, months, now that the recession-led shine has started to fade from the glittery metal. But Randgold Resources (LSE: RRS) (NASDAQ: GOLD.US) had a great week last week, with its share price picking up 228p (5.1%) to end on 4,735p. The price is still down 30% over the past 12 months, but shareholders will be relieved to see a movement in the right direction.
The driver was the release of third-quarter results, which told of a 19% rise in production to 233,677 ounces with gold sales, including some previous stocks, up 38% to $348.6m. Although gold prices are down, Randgold’s cost of production fell too and profit for the period climbed 80% from a year ago to $97.5m.
International Consolidated Airlines
Things are looking up for airlines too, with International Consolidated Airlines (LSE: IAG) set for a decent profit this year after a big loss in 2012. The owner of British Airways and Iberia released Q3 results, recording an operating profit for the nine months of €657m — the same quarter a year ago made just €17m.
Revenue for the nine months was up 3.9% to €14,113m after passenger unit revenue rose 2.3%, and fuel costs fell 3.4%.
The share price? Up 23p (6.5%) on the week to 376.9p, and now up 120% over 12 months.
Moneysupermarket.Com
And last but not least, the biggest rise in the FTSE 350 — Moneysupermarket.Com Group (LSE: MONY) with a whopping 23.7p (15.4%) gain to 178.2p. The shares had been in a bit of a slump, but that now takes them up nearly 20% over the past year.
Again the big news was a Q3 update, which revealed revenue up 5% and EBITDA up 26% over the same period a year ago. The firm upped its full-year expectations, telling us that EBITDA should be “mid-single digit percentage ahead” of current expectations, with the start to the fourth quarter said to be very positive.
