The FTSE 100 Index Closes 1.45% Lower

The FTSE 100 Index fell -146 points or 1.45 percent on Friday to close at 9917 points. Leading the losses are Smiths (-10.85%), Babcock International (-4.12%) and Antofagasta (-3.96%).

The FTSE 100 dropped more than 1% on Friday to its lowest level this year as rising oil prices and growing expectations of rate hikes weighed on sentiment, with investors concerned that higher energy costs could trigger an inflation spiral. The Bank of England’s more hawkish tone has reinforced the likelihood of tighter policy. Banking stocks declined, with HSBC down 1.8%, Lloyds 1.6% and Barclays 2%, while oil majors Shell and BP fell 1% and 3.3%. Healthcare names AstraZeneca and GSK also slipped, alongside heavyweights Rolls Royce, BAT, Rio Tinto and Glencore, while BAE Systems lost 3%. Travel stocks offered some support, with EasyJet up nearly 2% and IAG 1.4%. The index is down about 2.7% this week, marking a third consecutive weekly loss.

GB100 decreased to 9997.00 Index Points, the lowest since January 2026. Over the past 4 weeks, United Kingdom Stock Market Index (GB100) lost 6.39%, and in the last 12 months, it increased 15.67%.