The FTSE 100 rose sharply by 160.61 points, or 1.61%, to 10,127.96, leading a broader advance across UK equity benchmarks in the latest session, even as several heavyweight blue-chip names remained under pressure.
The rally extended beyond the headline index, with the FTSE 350 gaining 1.44%, the FTSE All-Share up 1.42%, and the FTSE AIM All-Share advancing 0.64%, signaling a broad-based improvement in UK market sentiment. In contrast, the FTSE 250 slipped marginally by 0.05%, reflecting selective weakness in mid-cap stocks.
Despite the strong benchmark performance, the list of notable FTSE 100 fallers highlighted continued pressure in select sectors.
Among the biggest laggards were:
- Antofagasta PLC, down 3.21%
- International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), lower by 1.88%
- Airtel Africa, down 1.53%
- Lion Finance Group, off 1.50%
- Reckitt Benckiser, down 1.20%
Additional weakness was seen in Smiths Group, Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, and InterContinental Hotels Group, though losses remained relatively contained compared to the broader market’s gains.
The divergence suggests that strength in index-heavy sectors and broad market participation outweighed stock-specific declines, allowing the FTSE 100 to push decisively higher despite visible weakness in mining, airlines, and consumer names.
The move also points to renewed investor confidence in UK large caps, with the benchmark reclaiming momentum above the psychologically important 10,100 level.
