LONDON: Britain’s FTSE 100 snapped a two-week winning streak on Friday, as oil prices at over five-month highs weighed on risk appetite, ahead of finance minister John Healey’s first budget next week.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed 0.3 percent lower at 10,690.36 points. The midcap FTSE 250 ended 0.1 percent higher, but marked its sharpest weekly fall in six weeks.
Energy shares advanced 3.9 percent as Brent crude crossed USD115 a barrel
Most sectors were lower, with aerospace and defence shares slipping 4.6 percent to an over five-month low.
Rolls-Royce slid 7.6 percent, registering its biggest one-day fall since April 2025. French rival Safran lost 10 percent after warning that a slowdown in aftermarket sales growth could extend into 2027.
Banks and healthcare stocks fell 0.8 percent and 1.1 percent respectively, further bogging down the index.
Data this week showed price pressures exceeded expectations in September, strengthening the case for a Bank of England interest rate hike in November, which is fully priced in.
Both the main indexes marked their first week of losses in three, as oil prices surged, bets on rate hikes grew and investors were jittery ahead of next week’s budget.
Precious and industrial metal miners were among the worst performers this week, down 10.9 percent and 8.7 percent respectively.
Gold miners lost 3.7 percent on Friday as well, as prices of bullion fell over 1 percent.
British retail sales volumes fell more than expected in September, while consumer confidence slumped in October, posting its steepest monthly fall since the early stages of the pandemic, separate data showed.
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