FTSE Edges Up for 3rd Day
2026-03-18 08:52
By
Agna Gabriel
1 min. read
The FTSE 100 edged 0.2% higher on Wednesday after a 0.8% gain in the previous session, marking a third straight day of advances as markets recover some losses linked to the war in Iran.
However, the UK index lagged its regional peers, partly due to declines in oil majors Shell (-0.4%) and BP (-0.4%) as crude prices pulled back, reversing some of the support they provided earlier in the week.
The broader positive sentiment lifted travel and financial shares, while investors rotated away from defensive sectors such as utilities and telecoms that had recently outperformed.
Gains were stronger in areas like construction and technology, where the UK has less exposure compared to continental markets, leaving the FTSE 100 trailing the wider European rebound.