FTSE 100 Falls on Friday, Still Logs Monthly Gain

2026-07-31 15:53 By Agna Gabriel 1 min. read

The FTSE 100 edged lower on Friday due to weakness in heavyweight consumer goods, healthcare, and banking stocks.

Unilever dropped more than 2%, while AstraZeneca and GSK each declined around 0.5%.

Major lenders HSBC Holdings and Lloyds Banking also fell.

IAG fell more than 1% after reporting second-quarter revenue below expectations, reflecting the impact of ongoing disruption from the Middle East conflict on air travel.

In contrast, NatWest surged more than 4% after raising its full-year guidance and indicating it could launch additional share buybacks.

Sainsbury's gained around 2% after announcing the sale of its Argos business.

Energy stocks also advanced, with BP and Shell rising between 1.3% and 1.8% as oil prices extended their sharp monthly rally of more than 20%.

Despite Friday's decline, the FTSE 100 finished the week up more than 1% and posted a monthly gain of roughly 3.5%, its strongest performance since February.



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The FTSE 100 edged lower on Friday due to weakness in heavyweight consumer goods, healthcare, and banking stocks. Unilever dropped more than 2%, while AstraZeneca and GSK each declined around 0.5%. Major lenders HSBC Holdings and Lloyds Banking also fell. IAG fell more than 1% after reporting second-quarter revenue below expectations, reflecting the impact of ongoing disruption from the Middle East conflict on air travel. In contrast, NatWest surged more than 4% after raising its full-year guidance and indicating it could launch additional share buybacks. Sainsbury's gained around 2% after announcing the sale of its Argos business. Energy stocks also advanced, with BP and Shell rising between 1.3% and 1.8% as oil prices extended their sharp monthly rally of more than 20%. Despite Friday's decline, the FTSE 100 finished the week up more than 1% and posted a monthly gain of roughly 3.5%, its strongest performance since February.
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