The FTSE 100 gained more than 0.5% on Friday, reaching its highest level in over six weeks after Iran signaled the Strait of Hormuz remains open under the ongoing ceasefire with the US. The move triggered a sharp drop in oil prices and led traders to scale back expectations for further interest rate hikes amid easing inflation concerns. Travel stocks led the advance, with EasyJet up 6.9% and IAG rising 5.9%. Intertek climbed nearly 5% and is now up more than 30% this week after rejecting a £7.9 billion takeover bid from EQT. Banks also supported the rally, with HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays and NatWest rising between 1.5% and 3.3%. Gains were also seen across AstraZeneca, Unilever, Rolls-Royce, GSK, Rio Tinto and BAE Systems. In contrast, energy and utility stocks lagged sharply, with BP falling more than 7%, Shell down over 5%, and SSE and Centrica each declining around 6%. Looking ahead, next week brings earnings from Sainsbury’s, WH Smith, AB Foods, Reckitt, and LSE Group.

United Kingdom's main stock market index, the GB100, rose to 10668 points on April 17, 2026, gaining 0.73% from the previous session. Over the past month, the index has climbed 3.52% and is up 28.08% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from United Kingdom. Historically, the United Kingdom Stock Market Index (GB100) reached an all time high of 10934.94 in February of 2026. United Kingdom Stock Market Index (GB100) - data, forecasts, historical chart - was last updated on April 19 of 2026.

United Kingdom's main stock market index, the GB100, rose to 10668 points on April 17, 2026, gaining 0.73% from the previous session. Over the past month, the index has climbed 3.52% and is up 28.08% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from United Kingdom. The United Kingdom Stock Market Index (GB100) is expected to trade at 10521.40 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate it to trade at 9964.64 in 12 months time.



Indexes Price Day Month Year Date
GB100 10,667.63 77.64 0.73% 3.52% 28.08% Apr/17

Components Price Day Year MCap Date
HSBC Holdings 1,365.20 27.00 2.02% 70.59% 352.41B Apr/17
Shell 3,196.00 -188.50 -5.57% 31.41% 295.84B Apr/18
AstraZeneca 15,118.00 256.00 1.72% 49.09% 294.03B Apr/18
Unilever 4,299.00 87.00 2.07% -11.92% 183.85B Apr/17
Rolls-Royce 1,310.60 60.40 4.83% 83.04% 140.38B Apr/17
British American Tobacco 4,142.00 -10.00 -0.24% 29.64% 128.63B Apr/17
BP 541.00 -43.00 -7.36% 50.72% 119.52B Apr/17
GlaxoSmithKline 2,144.00 21.00 0.99% 57.42% 118.86B Apr/18
Rio Tinto 7,448.00 79.00 1.07% 66.73% 110.86B Apr/18
Lloyds Banking 105.12 2.26 2.20% 47.47% 94B Apr/18




Related Last Previous Unit Reference
United Kingdom Inflation Rate 3.00 3.00 percent Feb 2026
United Kingdom Interest Rate 3.75 3.75 percent Mar 2026
United Kingdom Unemployment Rate 5.20 5.20 percent Jan 2026

United Kingdom Stock Market Index (GB100)
The GB100 tracks the performance of 100 most capitalized companies traded on the London Stock Exchange. GB100 companies represent about 80 percent of the entire market capitalization of the London Stock Exchange. It is a free-float index with a base value of 1000 as of January 3, 1984. This index is primarily derived from over-the-counter trading and contracts for difference indexes (CFDs).
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
10667.63 10589.99 10934.94 986.90 1984 - 2026 points Daily

Market Data Coverage: United Kingdom

News Stream
The FTSE 100 Index Closes 0.67% Higher
The FTSE 100 Index went up by 71 points or 0.67 percent on Friday to close at 10661 points. The rise was led by Easyjet Plc (6.86%), International Airlines Group (5.90%) and Fresnillo (5.88%). On the downside, the weakerst performers were BP (-7.16%), SSE (-6.43%) and Centrica (-6.05%).
2026-04-17
FTSE 100 Rises to Over 6-Week High
The FTSE 100 gained more than 0.5% on Friday, reaching its highest level in over six weeks after Iran signaled the Strait of Hormuz remains open under the ongoing ceasefire with the US. The move triggered a sharp drop in oil prices and led traders to scale back expectations for further interest rate hikes amid easing inflation concerns. Travel stocks led the advance, with EasyJet up 6.9% and IAG rising 5.9%. Intertek climbed nearly 5% and is now up more than 30% this week after rejecting a £7.9 billion takeover bid from EQT. Banks also supported the rally, with HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays and NatWest rising between 1.5% and 3.3%. Gains were also seen across AstraZeneca, Unilever, Rolls-Royce, GSK, Rio Tinto and BAE Systems. In contrast, energy and utility stocks lagged sharply, with BP falling more than 7%, Shell down over 5%, and SSE and Centrica each declining around 6%. Looking ahead, next week brings earnings from Sainsbury’s, WH Smith, AB Foods, Reckitt, and LSE Group.
2026-04-17
FTSE 100 Edges Down
The FTSE 100 traded lower on Friday, though the index remains broadly flat for a seventh straight session, with moves contained within a narrow range as sentiment stays cautious. Investors are awaiting further clarity on a potential US-Iran peace deal after President Donald Trump said Tehran had made key concessions and that an agreement could be announced fairly soon, although Iran has not confirmed this. SSE and Centrica dropped more than 5% each, leading losses amid concerns over plans to decouple gas and electricity prices and the potential hit to earnings. Beyond utilities, weakness was also seen across financials, energy and materials, which mostly traded in negative territory.
2026-04-17