The FTSE 100 Index Opens 0.11% Lower

The FTSE 100 traded lower on Friday, though the index remains broadly flat for a seventh straight session, with moves contained within a narrow range as sentiment stays cautious. Investors are awaiting further clarity on a potential US-Iran peace deal after President Donald Trump said Tehran had made key concessions and that an agreement could be announced fairly soon, although Iran has not confirmed this. SSE and Centrica dropped more than 5% each, leading losses amid concerns over plans to decouple gas and electricity prices and the potential hit to earnings. Beyond utilities, weakness was also seen across financials, energy and materials, which mostly traded in negative territory.

The FTSE 100 Index is losing -11 points. Losses were led by Centrica (-3.61%), SSE (-3.58%) and Antofagasta (-2.79%). Offsetting the fall, top gainers were Intertek (1.93%), Reckitt Benckiser (1.48%) and Burberry (1.41%).

The FTSE 100 Index rose 27 points or 0.26 percent on Thursday to close at 10587 points. Leading the gains are Intertek (10.33%), Entain (6.26%) and Halma (4.66%). Top losers were Easyjet Plc (-5.65%), Antofagasta (-3.08%) and Airtel Africa (-2.88%).