The FTSE 100 Index Opens 0.40% Higher

The FTSE 100 rose more than 0.5% on Friday, after two sessions of losses, as oil prices eased and investors assessed the cautious tone from central banks across Europe. Crude declined after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested Washington may lift sanctions on Iranian oil stored on tankers to help ease energy costs. Central banks held rates steady this week, citing the Iran war as a key source of uncertainty for inflation, while the Bank of England signaled it stands ready to act, reinforcing expectations of tighter policy. Markets are now fully pricing in a rate hike by June. Travel and leisure stocks led gains, with EasyJet up 3% and International Airlines Group 2.8%, while HSBC, Lloyds and Barclays also advanced. Unilever and Rolls Royce gained over 1%, while Shell and BP fell as oil retreated, and defence stocks including BAE Systems and Babcock also declined. Considering the full week, the UK index is down by around 1.5%.

The FTSE 100 Index is up by 40 points or 0.40 percent on Friday. Top gainers are Easyjet Plc (2.91%), International Airlines Group (2.69%) and Entain (2.55%). Biggest losses came from Smiths (-5.36%), BP (-2.52%) and Shell (-1.63%).

The FTSE 100 Index dropped -256 points or 2.49 percent on Thursday to close at 10049 points. Losses were led by Barratt Redrow (-8.87%), Natwest (-8.59%) and M&G (-7.78%).