The FTSE 100 Index Opens 0.26% Lower

The FTSE 100 traded lower on Monday as investors monitored developments in the Middle East after the US and Iran exchanged messages over the weekend regarding a draft agreement to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Sentiment was also affected by reports that Israel expanded its ground operations in Lebanon, undermining a previous truce. Mining stocks were among the biggest decliners, with Fresnillo and Endeavour Mining down nearly 3%. Defence names also retreated, with BAE Systems falling more than 2%, Babcock down 1.8% and Rolls Royce losing 1.7%. In contrast, oil majors Shell and BP gained 1.1% and 0.8% respectively. EasyJet surged more than 10% after responding to reports of takeover interest from Castlelake, stating it had not received any proposal. Meanwhile, Nationwide reported that UK house prices fell 0.6% in May, marking the largest monthly decline since June 2025.

The FTSE 100 Index is losing 27 points. Losses were led by Fresnillo (-2.91%), Endeavour (-2.59%) and BAE Systems (-2.15%). Offsetting the fall, top gainers were Easyjet Plc (11.39%), Entain (3.22%) and Halma (1.88%).

The FTSE 100 Index gained 8 points or 0.08 percent on Friday to close at 10434 points. Gains were led by Easyjet Plc (4.79%), Auto Trader (4.71%) and Endeavour (3.58%). Biggest losers were British American Tobacco (-2.83%), SSE (-2.25%) and Tesco (-2.23%).