The FTSE 100 Index Opens 0.23% Higher

The FTSE 100 traded modestly higher on Tuesday, with strong gains in consumer stocks offsetting weakness in banks and energy shares. Unilever surged more than 6% after the consumer goods group reported better-than-expected results, driven by robust performance in the US and emerging markets, while also raising its outlook for 2026. Barclays was among the biggest laggards, falling more than 5% despite reporting a 16% increase in second-quarter group income. The lender benefited from strong investment banking and US consumer operations amid heightened market volatility, but the results prompted profit-taking and weighed on the broader banking sector. Energy stocks also remained under pressure as oil prices extended recent losses. Shell slipped 0.8% and BP eased 0.4% after US President Donald Trump said there was a good chance of reaching an agreement with Iran, raising expectations of easing geopolitical tensions and reducing concerns over potential disruptions to global crude supplies.

The FTSE 100 Index is gaining 25 points or 0.23 percent on Tuesday. Leading the gains are Unilever (5.05%), Admiral (3.34%) and Reckitt Benckiser (2.31%). Top losers are Barclays (-4.66%), Kingfisher (-1.74%) and Natwest (-1.53%).

The FTSE 100 Index went up by 46 points or 0.42 percent on Monday to close at 10782 points. The rise was led by Vodafone (4.84%), Relx (4.44%) and Airtel Africa (4.25%). On the downside, the weakerst performers were Glencore (-3.39%), BP (-2.57%) and IMI (-2.30%).