FTSE 100 Trades Cautiously Lower
2026-04-07 07:39
By
Agna Gabriel
1 min. read
The FTSE 100 traded flat to slightly lower on Tuesday as a looming deadline set by US President Donald Trump on Iran kept markets on edge, with the president escalating threats and insisting the Strait of Hormuz must reopen as part of any agreement.
Trump warned that failure to comply by the deadline could trigger US strikes on key infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, intensifying concerns over the conflict’s trajectory.
The continued disruption to the vital shipping route has supported oil prices, lifting energy majors Shell and BP by more than 1%.
However, broader sentiment remained cautious, with AstraZeneca, GSK and Rolls Royce posting modest losses, while banks including HSBC, Lloyds and Barclays also edged lower.
Precious metals miners came under pressure, with Endeavour and Fresnillo dropping more than 2%, while travel stocks such as Intercontinental Hotels and International Airlines Group declined 1.5% and 1%, respectively.