FTSE 100 Posts Best Month Since February

2026-07-31 08:20 By Agna Gabriel 1 min. read

The FTSE 100 climbed more than 0.5% on Friday to a fresh record high near 10,970, putting the index on track for a weekly gain of around 2.2% and a monthly advance of roughly 4.5%, its strongest performance since February.

Investors continued to monitor weaker oil prices and renewed volatility in semiconductor stocks.

NatWest jumped nearly 4% after raising its full-year guidance and announcing plans for a share buyback alongside its 2026 annual results.

J Sainsbury gained more than 3% after agreeing to sell its Argos business to Swift Partners for at least £120 million.

On the downside, Pearson fell almost 4% despite reaffirming its outlook, while IG Group dropped over 5% after announcing a deal worth up to $1.3 billion to acquire US sports prediction platform Underdog.

IAG lost around 1.6% after missing revenue estimates and warning of higher fuel costs and prolonged Middle East route suspensions.



News Stream
FTSE 100 Posts Best Month Since February
The FTSE 100 climbed more than 0.5% on Friday to a fresh record high near 10,970, putting the index on track for a weekly gain of around 2.2% and a monthly advance of roughly 4.5%, its strongest performance since February. Investors continued to monitor weaker oil prices and renewed volatility in semiconductor stocks. NatWest jumped nearly 4% after raising its full-year guidance and announcing plans for a share buyback alongside its 2026 annual results. J Sainsbury gained more than 3% after agreeing to sell its Argos business to Swift Partners for at least £120 million. On the downside, Pearson fell almost 4% despite reaffirming its outlook, while IG Group dropped over 5% after announcing a deal worth up to $1.3 billion to acquire US sports prediction platform Underdog. IAG lost around 1.6% after missing revenue estimates and warning of higher fuel costs and prolonged Middle East route suspensions.
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The FTSE 100 Index decreased 19 points or 0.17 percent on Thursday to close at 10890 points. The decline was led by Rentokil Initial (-21.00%), London Stock Exchange (-7.08%) and Relx (-6.73%). On the upside, the strongest performers were Rolls-Royce (5.66%), Antofagasta (4.37%) and Halma (4.05%).
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