The FTSE 100 is trading firmer on Monday, up 0.5%, bucking a soft tone across Europe, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250 slipped 0.2%.
The Dax is down 0.4%, the CAC 40 has dropped 0.5% and the Stoxx 50 shed 0.7%, with sentiment dented by a renewed sell-off in AI-linked tech names after calls for a development slowdown in the sector for safety reasons.
Oil has surged once again. Brent crude has jumped 3.1% to $107.81 and WTI has risen 3.2% to $103.20 after Houthi strikes on a Saudi military base, its rapid gains on the Red Sea coast and continued disruption around the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Iran conflict.
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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.
BP (+1.4%) and Shell (+1.3%) are among the FTSE’s steadier performers. Elsewhere, spot gold slipped 0.7% to $4,318 and silver fell 1.5% to $63.51.
Top FTSE 100 risers included Sage Group (+4.34%), RELX (+4.24%) and Experian (+3.34%). Fallers were led by Halma (-3.80%), Polar Capital Technology Trust (-2.98%) and Antofagasta (-2.56%), the latter hit by softer copper prices.
In the FTSE 250, Premier Foods (+4.96%) and WAG Payment Solutions (+4.83%) led risers, while WPP rose 3.02% on reports late last week that it is set to retain Coca-Cola’s global media business.
The biggest faller by far was GlobalData, down 23.74% after half-year results confirmed a tempered full-year profit outlook following weak H1 revenue growth of around 3%. Oxford Instruments (-5.29%) and Raspberry Pi Holdings (-5.06%) also fell sharply.
Elsewhere, AstraZeneca and GSK both issued positive trial updates, Frasers gave a further update on its Hugo Boss stake, and Metlen signed an LNG supply deal with Petronas.
Investors now turn to a packed data week. For the UK, unemployment data will be released on Tuesday, inflation on Wednesday, the Bank of England’s rate decision will be on Thursday, and retail sales on Friday.
The Federal Reserve rate decision will be on Wednesday.
