Economic news

UK FTSE 100 Steadies After Worst Week Since Apr; Miners Gain

Oct 5 (Reuters) - The UK's FTSE 100 ​rose on Monday, steadying after its steepest drop since April last ‌week, as mining shares led gains and oil prices stayed in check.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index rose 0.19% to 10,481.20 points at 1018 GMT. The midcap FTSE 250 dipped ​0.32% to 24,114.77 points.

  • Precious metal miners rose 0.55% as prices of ​spot gold and silver jumped 0.35% and 2.06%, respectively.

  • Brent crude futures dipped ⁠0.19% to $102.04 a barrel in choppy trading, after exports from the Middle ​East increased and the Group of Seven nations pledged to boost supplies.

  • Still, the conflict ​between Yemen's internationally recognised government and Iran-backed Houthis kept investors on edge.

  • A survey on Monday showed British services firms reported stronger cost pressures last month as fuel prices surged due to ​the Middle East conflict.

  • Fuel prices have been under scrutiny owing to their ​impact on inflation expectations and the Bank of England's interest rate trajectory.

  • "Energy prices have risen ‌too ⁠sharply, and a drop seems too distant a prospect for the MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) to sit on its hands and hope second-round effects fail to materialise," economists at Pantheon Macroeconomics wrote.

  • Traders currently see a nearly 95% chance of ​a rate hike at the ​next central bank ⁠meeting in November, according to data compiled by LSEG.

  • Ithaca Energy rose 3.5% and was the top gainer on the ​FTSE 100 after it agreed to acquire Suncor Energy's offshore oil ​assets ⁠for $842 million in upfront cash.

  • "The industry has consistently bemoaned the tinkering in the fiscal and regulatory set-up for oil and gas in the UK and this deal for ⁠Canadian ​assets provides a level of diversification," said AJ ​Bell investment director Russ Mould.

  • Investment firm 3i Group hit its lowest level since late June and ​was last down 4.4%.

Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Priyanka G

Source: Reuters


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