The FTSE 100 Index Opens 0.19% Higher

The FTSE 100 Index is gaining 20 points or 0.19 percent on Tuesday. Leading the gains are Entain (3.66%), Fresnillo (3.52%) and Antofagasta (3.16%). Top losers are British American Tobacco (-3.32%), Airtel Africa (-2.27%) and Imperial Brands (-1.53%).

The FTSE 100 traded slightly higher on Tuesday as investors assessed mixed signals from the Middle East. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave differing accounts of a recent call regarding the fighting in Lebanon, which prompted Iran to suspend talks with the US on extending the ceasefire. Trump said he urged both Israel and Hezbollah to halt hostilities, while Netanyahu offered a more limited description of the discussions. Mining stocks led gains in London, with Fresnillo rising more than 3%, Endeavour Mining adding nearly 3%, and Antofagasta advancing almost 3%. Anglo American and Rio Tinto also gained more than 2% each. In contrast, British American Tobacco fell over 3% despite reaffirming its full year guidance and highlighting strong growth in its Modern Oral and Vapour businesses. Oil majors Shell and BP also declined, losing 1% and 1.9% respectively as crude prices retreated.

The FTSE 100 Index decreased 85 points or 0.82 percent on Monday to close at 10324 points. The decline was led by Rolls-Royce (-5.50%), BAE Systems (-5.14%) and Persimmon (-5.01%). On the upside, the strongest performers were Easyjet Plc (7.66%), The Sage Group (7.29%) and Entain (5.21%).