FTSE 100 Trades Higher on Wednesday
2026-09-30 08:06
By
Agna Gabriel
1 min. read
The FTSE 100 gained more than 0.5% on Wednesday, recovering after two consecutive sessions of losses as stronger-than-expected UK GDP data supported sentiment and utilities and mining stocks advanced.
The UK economy grew 0.5% in the second quarter, an upward revision from the previous estimate of 0.4%, highlighting slightly stronger underlying activity than initially reported.
Utilities led the broader index, with Severn Trent and United Utilities each rising around 3%, while SSE and National Grid gained more than 2.5%.
Mining stocks also performed strongly, with Antofagasta climbing 3.2% and Rio Tinto adding around 2%.
Energy companies moved in the opposite direction as weaker Brent crude prices pressured the sector, sending Shell down 1% and BP 1.7% lower.
Despite Wednesday’s rebound, the FTSE 100 remained around 1% lower for September, following a 0.4% decline in August.
The index was still up about 2% for the third quarter, supported by a 5.3% gain in July.