FTSE 100 Trades Lower

2026-03-26 09:06 By Agna Gabriel 1 min. read

The FTSE 100 dropped around 1% on Thursday after two sessions of gains, tracking broader declines across Europe and the US as oil prices moved higher and geopolitical uncertainty persisted.

Confusion around potential peace talks between the US and Iran continued to weigh on sentiment.

Energy stocks were the only bright spot, with Shell up 0.6% and BP gaining 1%, while miners led losses.

Rate-sensitive sectors such as real estate and growth names also lagged.

Major decliners included HSBC down over 0.5%, with Lloyds, Barclays, and NatWest losing more than 1%, while AstraZeneca fell 1.3%, Rolls Royce and Rio Tinto dropped 2.7%, BAE Systems lost 1.6%, and Glencore declined 2.1%.

3i Group slid more than 4% despite reporting growth at Action.

In contrast, Next surged over 6% after raising profit guidance.

Meanwhile, BRC data showed consumer confidence weakened sharply amid inflation concerns, with expectations hitting a record low.



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FTSE 100 Trades Lower
The FTSE 100 dropped around 1% on Thursday after two sessions of gains, tracking broader declines across Europe and the US as oil prices moved higher and geopolitical uncertainty persisted. Confusion around potential peace talks between the US and Iran continued to weigh on sentiment. Energy stocks were the only bright spot, with Shell up 0.6% and BP gaining 1%, while miners led losses. Rate-sensitive sectors such as real estate and growth names also lagged. Major decliners included HSBC down over 0.5%, with Lloyds, Barclays, and NatWest losing more than 1%, while AstraZeneca fell 1.3%, Rolls Royce and Rio Tinto dropped 2.7%, BAE Systems lost 1.6%, and Glencore declined 2.1%. 3i Group slid more than 4% despite reporting growth at Action. In contrast, Next surged over 6% after raising profit guidance. Meanwhile, BRC data showed consumer confidence weakened sharply amid inflation concerns, with expectations hitting a record low.
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