The FTSE 100 Index Closes 1.53% Higher

The FTSE 100 rose 1.5% on Friday, extending gains for the third session, supported by optimism that the US and Iran could be nearing an end to their conflict, alongside falling oil prices. Most constituents moved higher, with banks and miners leading gains. HSBC Holdings gained 4%, Lloyds Banking Group added 4.1% and Barclays advanced nearly 5%. NatWest and Standard Chartered were up by 3.6% and 4%, respectively. Mining stocks performed strongly, with Rio Tinto up nearly 3%, and Anglo American, Antofagasta and Fresnillo all gaining over 5%. Energy majors weighed slightly on the index as crude prices declined, with Shell falling 2% and BP down 2.2%. Meanwhile, fresh economic data showed the UK economy contracted for the first time in eight months, highlighting the impact of the Iran conflict on activity. GDP fell 0.1% in April after growth in the previous two months, matching economists’ expectations.

The FTSE 100 Index gained 158 points or 1.53 percent on Friday to close at 10462 points. Gains were led by International Airlines Group (6.65%), Vistry Group (6.23%) and Anglo American (5.21%).

The FTSE 100 rose 0.8% on Friday, extending gains for the third session, supported by optimism that the US and Iran could be nearing an end to their conflict, alongside falling oil prices. Most constituents moved higher, with banks and miners leading gains. HSBC Holdings, Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest and Standard Chartered all gained over 2%, and Barclays advanced nearly 3%. Mining stocks performed strongly, with Rio Tinto up more than 1%, Anglo American rising 2.8%, Antofagasta gaining over 4%, and Fresnillo climbing more than 2%. Energy majors weighed slightly on the index as crude prices declined, with Shell falling 2.1% and BP down 2.6%. Meanwhile, fresh economic data showed the UK economy contracted for the first time in eight months, highlighting the impact of the Iran conflict on activity. GDP fell 0.1% in April after growth in the previous two months, matching economists’ expectations.