The FTSE 100 Index Closes 0.14% Higher

The FTSE 100 Index gained 15 points or 0.14 percent on Friday to close at 10375 points. Gains were led by Unilever (2.50%), Auto Trader (2.49%) and British American Tobacco (2.43%). Biggest losers were Endeavour (-5.82%), Antofagasta (-5.70%) and Fresnillo (-5.68%).

The FTSE 100 edged higher on Friday, outperforming major European markets. Defensive stocks led gains, with AstraZeneca and GSK rising around 2% each, while Unilever and British American Tobacco advanced roughly 2.5%. Defence group BAE Systems also gained close to 1%. In contrast, mining shares came under heavy pressure, with Rio Tinto falling about 2.8%, Glencore down 3.5%, Anglo American losing 5%, Antofagasta dropping 5.3% and Fresnillo retreating 5.7%. On the data front, Halifax reported that UK house prices slipped 0.1% in May following a similar decline in April, taking the average property price to £298,806. Annual growth for first-time buyers eased to 0.3%, though Halifax said lending conditions are becoming more flexible and housing market activity remains broadly stable. Despite Friday’s gains, the FTSE 100 was down 0.3% for the week.

The FTSE 100 traded slightly lower on Friday as investors reacted to a global selloff in semiconductor stocks following disappointing earnings from Broadcom, although the UK benchmark remained relatively insulated due to its limited exposure to the technology sector. The index was weighed down by declines in banks and mining shares. HSBC Holdings fell around 1.3%, while Lloyds Banking, Barclays, NatWest and Standard Chartered lost between 0.5% and 2.3%. Miners were also under pressure, with Rio Tinto down about 2%, Anglo American and Antofagasta falling 2.1% each, Glencore losing 1.5% and Fresnillo retreating 2.2%. On the data front, Halifax reported that UK house prices fell 0.1% in May after a similar decline in April, bringing the average property price to £298,806. Annual growth for first-time buyers slowed to 0.3%, although Halifax noted that lenders are becoming more flexible and housing market activity remains relatively stable. The UK index is down 0.6% so far this week.