FTSE 100 Bounce Extends as Miners Antofagasta and Fresnillo Rally

The FTSE 100 extended gains on Tuesday morning, rising 0.6% after a 1.6% climb in the previous session. The FTSE 250 advanced 1%. Across Europe, the DAX has gained 0.9%, while the CAC 40 has risen 0.4%.

Mining stocks lead the FTSE 100, with Antofagasta up 3.1% and Fresnillo rising 2.5% as precious metals prices rebounded. Spot gold has increased 1.4% and silver has jumped 4.3% following last week’s sell-off. JD Sports is another notable gainer, up 2.3%.

The biggest fallers on the index so far are Airtel Africa, down 1.1%, Games Workshop, down 0.6%, and Croda International, down 0.4%.

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In corporate developments, Unilever said discussions to combine its foods portfolio, including brands such as Knorr and Hellmann’s, with McCormick & Company could conclude as soon as today.

Any agreement would likely include an upfront cash payment of around $15.7 billion, with most of the remaining value delivered in McCormick equity.

Currency markets were steady as the pound edged 0.2% higher against the dollar after the Office for National Statistics confirmed UK GDP grew 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2025, matching forecasts and repeating the previous quarter’s sluggish expansion.

Beyond the blue-chip index, Domino’s Pizza Group appointed Nicola Frampton as permanent CEO, having served in the role on an interim basis since November 2025. Pets at Home shares gained more than 5% after issuing a positive pre-close trading update.