FTSE 100 Falls, On Track For Weekly Loss

The FTSE 100 has declined 0.9% on Friday morning, leaving the blue-chip benchmark on course for another weekly decline of 0.8%.

If losses hold, it would mark the index’s second straight weekly drop amid the significant investor uncertainty stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.

Oil prices added to the pressure, with Brent Crude moving back above $100 a barrel, lifting energy stocks but heightening concerns over inflation and global growth.

Fresh UK data also dampened sentiment. It was reported on Friday that GDP was flat in January, signalling no growth at the start of 2026 after small expansions of 0.1% in December and 0.2% in November. The GDP three-month average showed that the economy grew by just 0.2%.

Among corporate updates, housebuilder Berkeley Group reiterated guidance for pre-tax profit of £450 million for the year to September and said it expects a similar outcome in 2027. It noted that trading remains constrained by weaker consumer confidence amid geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty.

Higher oil prices supported the top FTSE 100 risers, with BP up 1.7% and Shell up 0.9%. London Stock Exchange Group gained 0.4%.

Miners lead the fallers. Fresnillo slid 4%, while Anglo American fell 3.1%. Luxury fashion brand Burberry also declined 3.1%.

In the mid-cap FTSE 250, down 1% overall, Shawbrook Group rose 3.9%, while Hochschild Mining was the biggest loser, dropping 5.9%.