FTSE 100 opens lower as AstraZeneca shares fall further

FTSE 100 opens lower as AstraZeneca shares fall further

Shares in drugs giant AstraZeneca have fallen for a second day following a report that its chief executive, Pascal Soriot, is to leave the company.On Thursday, a report on the Calcalist financial news website said Mr Soriot would join Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.Shares in AstraZeneca fell nearly 3.5% on Thursday and they were down a further 2% in early trade on Friday.The FTSE 100 share index slipped 5.15 points to 7,408.29.In the FTSE 250, shares in building and services firm Carillion rose 7% after it said it had appointed HSBC as joint financial adviser and corporate broker to help it carry out a review of the business.Carillion’s shares plunged this week after it said on Monday that its annual sales would fall short of expectations, it needed to strengthen its finances and that its chief executive was to leave.Friday’s small rebound took Carillion’s share price to about 60p, but it remains well below the 191p level it was trading at last week.On the currency markets, the pound rose 0.1% against the dollar to $1.2955 and was flat against the euro at 1.1352 euros.
Source: BBC News

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