The FTSE 100 Index Opens 0.54% Higher

The FTSE 100 Index is gaining 58 points or 0.54 percent on Friday. Leading the gains are Smiths (2.39%), Glencore (2.17%) and Endeavour (1.92%). Top losers are BP (-1.98%), Babcock International (-0.81%) and British American Tobacco (-0.70%).

The FTSE 100 rose around 0.5% on Friday, led by strong gains among mining stocks. Glencore climbed more than 3%, while Anglo American gained nearly 3%, and Antofagasta and Fresnillo advanced more than 2% each. Endeavour Mining also rose around 2%. United Utilities added 0.6% after the water company said its operational performance remained in line with expectations and that it was seeking support for £1 billion of investment in its network. Oil majors moved in the opposite direction, with BP falling more than 2% and Shell down over 1%. Oil prices declined as markets weighed the possibility of a US-Iran truce against concerns that intensifying Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia could disrupt supplies from the key Middle Eastern producer. On the data front, UK consumer confidence improved for a third consecutive month, according to GfK, although the survey continued to highlight persistent caution among households. The FTSE 100 was up around 0.7% for the week.

The FTSE 100 Index decreased 24 points or 0.23 percent on Thursday to close at 10681 points. The decline was led by Standard Life (-4.54%), Rentokil Initial (-3.84%) and St. Jamess (-3.42%). On the upside, the strongest performers were JD Sports Fashion (4.37%), BP (2.62%) and Shell (1.73%).