FTSE 100 Slightly Higher: Unemployment Climbs, Rolls-Royce Announces Interim Share Buyback Plan

The FTSE 100 edged 0.1% higher on Tuesday as investors weighed the latest economic data and company updates after US stocks closed lower on Monday.

Across Europe, markets are subdued, with Germany’s DAX down 0.3% and France’s CAC 40 up 0.3%. The pan-European Stoxx 600 gained 0.2%.

Rolls-Royce was in focus after the aerospace and engineering group announced plans to buy back a further £200 million of its shares. 

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The move follows the completion last month of this year’s £1 billion share repurchase programme and forms part of the £1.9 billion returned to shareholders in 2025. Rolls-Royce shares are down around 1.1%.

UK labour market data also drew attention. The unemployment rate rose to 5.1%, in line with expectations, marking its highest level since March 2021 and an increase from 5% in the previous month. 

Meanwhile, annual growth in average earnings excluding bonuses edged slightly above City forecasts, coming in at 4.6% in the three months to October, compared with 4.7% in the prior period.

Within the FTSE 100, easyJet led the gainers, rising 2.2%, followed by ConvaTec, up 2%, and Burberry, which added 1.7%. On the downside, BAE Systems fell 2.4%, Polar Capital Technology slid 2.1%, and Babcock International declined 1.7%.