The FTSE 100 Index Opens 0.41% Lower

The FTSE 100 fell for a fifth straight session on Friday, hitting a more than two-week low as US-Iran talks remain deadlocked and the Strait of Hormuz stays effectively closed. Banks, defence names, pharma and miners led declines. Mondi dropped around 6% after warning that higher energy, raw material and logistics costs linked to the Middle East conflict are weighing on its outlook. In contrast, energy and consumer stocks outperformed amid elevated oil prices. On the data front, UK retail sales rose 0.7% in March, beating expectations, with a 0.2% increase excluding fuel. Meanwhile, Bank of England policymaker Sarah Breeden warned that global equities may face a correction, saying current valuations do not fully reflect risks such as a potential economic slowdown, stress in private credit markets and possible AI driven repricing. For the week, the UK index is down 2.4%.

The FTSE 100 Index is dropping 43 points. Leading the losses are Mondi (-6.03%), Convatec Group (-2.94%) and BAE Systems (-2.45%). Top gainers were J Sainsbury (2.09%), British American Tobacco (2.00%) and BP (1.51%).

The FTSE 100 Index decreased 11 points or 0.10 percent on Thursday to close at 10466 points. The decline was led by Fresnillo (-6.31%), Legal & General (-5.47%) and The Sage Group (-4.33%). On the upside, the strongest performers were Hikma Pharmaceutical (6.15%), Anglo American (4.08%) and Melrose (2.22%).