FTSE 100 Rises for 2nd Session

2026-05-19 07:39 By Agna Gabriel 1 min. read

The FTSE 100 rose 0.5% on Tuesday after gaining 1.3% in the previous session, as European markets continued to recover from last Friday’s selloff and sentiment improved slightly over the Middle East.

Investor confidence was supported after US President Donald Trump said he was holding off on further strikes against Iran, helping push Brent crude lower and easing some inflation concerns despite oil remaining above $110 per barrel.

BAE Systems rose 2%, Rolls-Royce added 1.3% and Babcock also moved higher.

RELX gained 2.1% while Diageo climbed 2%.

Utilities were also firmer, with National Grid up 1.7%, Severn Trent and United Utilities both adding 1.4%, Centrica rising 0.7% and SSE up 0.4%.

In healthcare, AstraZeneca gained 0.5% and Hikma Pharmaceuticals advanced 1.3%.

Mining stocks lagged behind, with Rio Tinto, Glencore and Anglo American all falling more than 2%, while Antofagasta and Fresnillo lost around 1.8%.



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