London’s FTSE 100 reached an all-time high on Friday, with the influence of the heavyweight miners and defensive stocks, and Barclays falling into its negative exposure regarding the lone collapsing UK lender, Market Financial Solutions.
Stocks of Barclays, opens new tab dropped 4.2 percent and Jefferies, opens new tab dropped 10 percent, as reports stated that the companies and other lenders were against losing the collapse of mortgage lender MFS, which has been placed in administration due to claims of financial irregularities.
The blue-chip FTSE 100, opens new tab, added 0.6 percent to 10,910.55 points to record a close the third consecutive record close, and the mid-cap FTSE 250, opens new tab, added 0.2 percent.
The FTSE 100 index gained 6.7 percent in February, its eighth monthly climb in a row and its longest monthly winning streak since 2012–2013.
The index has performed better than the U.S. and European indices this month, with optimism that a potential reduction in the Bank of England rate in March boosted the sentiment.
Gains at times have been dampened by concerns that new AI tools will destabilize old business models, along with trade-related uncertainty with new tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month.
Precious-metal miners and industrial-metal miners started to rise in response to the growth in the demand for gold and copper. Investors rallied around safe-haven assets as the United States was uncertain of its U.S. tariff policies and heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.
Mining stocks have been on the list of the largest contributors to the FTSE 100 in the last year, with the skyrocketing metals prices. AstraZeneca, a drug company, and food group Unilever shares gained 2.9 percent and 2 percent, respectively.
Stocks of AstraZeneca drugmaker and Unilever food group strengthened by 2.9 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively. Among others, shares of IAG decreased 7.5 percent after the airline’s owner failed to provide profit guidance for this year and expressed concerns about potentially higher fuel prices.
Hays slumped 10 percent to the bottom of the mid-cap index after the recruiter announced the departure of CEO Dirk Hahn and slashed its dividend by 84 percent.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party lost to the Green Party in a Manchester ward it had dominated for nearly a century, underscoring the fragmentation of Britain’s traditional two‑party system.
