The FTSE 100 Index Opens 0.04% Higher

The FTSE 100 traded mostly flat on Thursday, dragged down by energy companies and missing out on a broader European market bounce led by the technology sector. International benchmark Brent oil erased all of its gains from the Middle East conflict as crude flows steadily improved through the Strait of Hormuz. This downward commodity pressure weighed directly on energy producers, causing BP to slide 0.6% and Shell to drop 0.8%. Conversely, airline operator EasyJet advanced over 5% after rejecting a fourth takeover bid from investment firm Castlelake while extending the deadline for potential future proposals. Financial giant Barclays also gained more than 1% following news that its US unit exceeded mandatory capital thresholds in recent Federal Reserve stress tests. Meanwhile, a broader boost in global market sentiment fueled by strong earnings from chipmaker Micron had little impact on the UK index due to its minimal tech representation.

The FTSE 100 Index is picking up 4 points or 0.04 percent on Thursday. Gains are led by 3i (9.59%), Easyjet Plc (5.21%) and Barratt Redrow (3.63%). Biggest losers are WPP (-2.78%), London Stock Exchange (-2.36%) and United Utilities (-2.19%).

The FTSE 100 Index rose 25 points or 0.24 percent on Wednesday to close at 10454 points. Leading the gains are Segro (17.18%), B&M European Value (13.12%) and Berkeley (7.60%). Top losers were Endeavour (-3.61%), BP (-3.56%) and Glencore (-3.53%).