FTSE 100 Falls for 2nd Day

2026-04-21 16:29 By Agna Gabriel 1 min. read

The FTSE 100 fell around 1% on Tuesday, adding to a 0.6% drop in the previous session, as investors stayed cautious ahead of developments in US Iran talks with the ceasefire deadline approaching.

Defence stocks led losses, with BAE Systems down 4.2%, Babcock off 1.4%, and Rolls Royce sliding more than 6%.

The pharmaceutical sector also weakened, as AstraZeneca fell 2.6% and GSK lost 2.9%.

Other heavyweight names including Unilever and British American Tobacco declined 1.2% and 2.7% respectively.

Associated British Foods dropped more than 2.5% after confirming plans to separate Primark.

On the upside, BP rose more than 1%, while utilities outperformed with SSE up 2.7% and Centrica gaining 1.3%.

Experian added over 2% after naming Adam Crozier as chair designate.

In economic data, UK unemployment fell to 4.9%, below expectations, while wage growth eased to 3.8% including bonuses and 3.6% excluding them, both slightly above forecasts.



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FTSE 100 Falls for 2nd Day
The FTSE 100 fell around 1% on Tuesday, adding to a 0.6% drop in the previous session, as investors stayed cautious ahead of developments in US Iran talks with the ceasefire deadline approaching. Defence stocks led losses, with BAE Systems down 4.2%, Babcock off 1.4%, and Rolls Royce sliding more than 6%. The pharmaceutical sector also weakened, as AstraZeneca fell 2.6% and GSK lost 2.9%. Other heavyweight names including Unilever and British American Tobacco declined 1.2% and 2.7% respectively. Associated British Foods dropped more than 2.5% after confirming plans to separate Primark. On the upside, BP rose more than 1%, while utilities outperformed with SSE up 2.7% and Centrica gaining 1.3%. Experian added over 2% after naming Adam Crozier as chair designate. In economic data, UK unemployment fell to 4.9%, below expectations, while wage growth eased to 3.8% including bonuses and 3.6% excluding them, both slightly above forecasts.
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