The FTSE 100 Index Closes 0.67% Higher

The FTSE 100 Index went up by 71 points or 0.67 percent on Friday to close at 10661 points. The rise was led by Easyjet Plc (6.86%), International Airlines Group (5.90%) and Fresnillo (5.88%). On the downside, the weakerst performers were BP (-7.16%), SSE (-6.43%) and Centrica (-6.05%).

The FTSE 100 gained more than 0.5% on Friday, reaching its highest level in over six weeks after Iran signaled the Strait of Hormuz remains open under the ongoing ceasefire with the US. The move triggered a sharp drop in oil prices and led traders to scale back expectations for further interest rate hikes amid easing inflation concerns. Travel stocks led the advance, with EasyJet up 6.9% and IAG rising 5.9%. Intertek climbed nearly 5% and is now up more than 30% this week after rejecting a £7.9 billion takeover bid from EQT. Banks also supported the rally, with HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays and NatWest rising between 1.5% and 3.3%. Gains were also seen across AstraZeneca, Unilever, Rolls-Royce, GSK, Rio Tinto and BAE Systems. In contrast, energy and utility stocks lagged sharply, with BP falling more than 7%, Shell down over 5%, and SSE and Centrica each declining around 6%. Looking ahead, next week brings earnings from Sainsbury’s, WH Smith, AB Foods, Reckitt, and LSE Group.

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.