The FTSE 100 opened 69.57 points lower at 10,683.31 as equities in Asia struggled over artificial intelligence (AI) spending returns. Brent crude futures rose 2.64% to USD 111.7 per barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) advanced 0.63% to USD 99.56 per barrel.
The Sterling traded at USD 1.3398 on Thursday, from USD 1.3389 when London equities closed on Wednesday. However, against the euro, it eased to EUR 1.1913 from EUR 1.1930.
On the upside, Rentokil Initial surged 7.88% to 339.50p, while London Stock Exchange Group advanced 3.21% to 9,072.00p. Ithaca Energy climbed 2.12% to 299.00p, and BP gained 0.97% to 623.10p. BT Group increased 0.97% to 208.60p, while Unilever added 0.86% to 4,861.50p.
On the downside, Games Workshop Group declined 1.77% to 16,650.00p, while Lion Finance Group slipped 2.05% to 12,440.00p. Rio Tinto fell 2.55% to 6,317.00p, and Anglo American dropped 3.75% to 3,696.00p. Antofagasta decreased 3.26% to 3,119.00p, while Endeavour Mining lost 2.28% to 4,027.00p.
LSEG increased its profit forecasts as the operator of the London Stock Exchange confirmed plans to take on credit data specialist Octus in a USD 3.5 billion (GBP 2.6 billion) deal. The firm said the deal to acquire the New York-based business ‘significantly expands LSEG’s fixed income offering.’
“Public and private credit markets are converging,” LSEG said, adding that the tie-up would help meet ‘customer demand for timely, accurate and predictive intelligence, and proprietary data and analytics in this less liquid market segment.’
The firm’s pre-tax earnings forecast witnessed an improvement of 100-120 basis points, up from an initial guidance of 80-100 basis points, and an earlier upgrade to 100 basis points.
RELX reported a 7% rise in sales for the first nine months of 2026, supported by growing demand for its AI tools. Its legal business led the way, with sales up 10%, while its fraud prevention and financial services division increased 8%.
The company kept its full-year forecasts unchanged, expecting strong growth in sales and profits.
The update comes after RELX and other London-listed software firms suffered heavy share price declines earlier this year over fears that AI could replace their services.
Barclays booked a GBP 201 million structural cost charge in the third quarter to fund tech-driven restructuring. The UK retail arm absorbed GBP 110 million, while the investment bank accounted for GBP 57 million.
Addressing the charge, the bank confirmed it is “structurally reducing the cost base through expected technology-enabled FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) reductions, creating capacity for further investment in the business.”
A further GBP 300 million in restructuring costs has been earmarked for the fourth quarter to drive additional efficiency savings.
Also Read: Nifty 50 Opens 123.6 Points Lower, Sensex Declines 366.36 Points Amid US-Iran Tensions
In the US, the NASDAQ Composite added 1.05% to finish at 26,702.86, and the S&P 500 rose 0.58% to 7,757.17. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 360.21 points, or 0.69%, to close at 52,856.09.
In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell 2.65% to 62,907.84, while China’s Shanghai Composite edged down by 1.48%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 3.12%, and South Korea’s Kospi dipped 3.52%. In India, both the Nifty 50 and the Sensex declined by 0.44% and 0.52%, respectively.
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