UK and European shares are lower in early trading this morning as global bond-yield pressure persists, while oil sits close to $100 on mixed US-Iran signals.
The FTSE 100 is down 1.6% in early trading this morning, while the FTSE 250 is off 1.4%. On the continent, the DAX has declined 1.2%, the CAC 40 is down 1.3%, and the Stoxx 50 has dropped 1.2%.
Oil remains near $100
Brent is up 1.5% at $99.45 and WTI, the US benchmark, is up 1.7% at $91.96 as US-Iran tensions continue. Donald Trump, the US president, said on Wednesday that Washington must decide on Iran.
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Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
We have to make that decision: we blow them up or make a deal. But the time is coming. It’s going to end very soon, one way or another.
Donald Trump, US president
Iran said it had received a US response to its peace proposal. Gold is up 0.2% at $4164, silver up 0.5% at 60.70, and sterling down 0.2% at $1.3242.
Movers: Games Workshop, Saga, Breedon
In the FTSE 100, Rolls-Royce (LON: RR.) is up 0.71%, DCC is up 0.23%, and Polar Capital Technology Trust is up 0.14%. On the downside, Games Workshop has dropped 6.00%, British American Tobacco has declined 3.80% and Weir is down 3.03%.
In the FTSE 250, WAG Payment Solutions is up 2.82%, Harbour Energy has advanced 0.91% and Ceres Power has gained 0.83%. Saga fell 6.35%, Breedon decreased 4.88% and Ocado declined 4.11%.
Breedon (LON: BREE), the construction materials group, fell after it announced that finance chief James Brotherton will succeed Rob Wood as chief executive from 1 January 2027.
Landsec (LON: LAND) has agreed to buy 100% of the Metrocentre in Gateshead for £516m, with in-place net rental income of £41m (a 7.9% yield), alongside a c.£500m equity raise that includes a retail offer. SSE (LON: SSE) reiterated its FY2026/27 adjusted EPS guidance of 168-193p in a trading update.
Outside the FTSE indices, AIM-listed Filtronic (LON: FTC) surged after announcing a $68.1m follow-on order from SpaceX, its largest from the customer.
