The FTSE 100 opened lower as fresh domestic data underscored the weight of Middle East uncertainty on the UK economy, with the Halifax House Price Index showing average property values slipping for a second consecutive month to £298,806 in May.
Meanwhile, Brent oil was trading at $95.40 a barrel early, higher than $94.88 late Thursday. Sterling was quoted at $1.3430 early Friday, lower than $1.3436 at the previous London equities close.
Sainsbury's rose 2.24% to £301.80, while Experian advanced 1.99% to £2,662 and Rightmove gained 1.96% to £448.30. Auto Trader Group also moved higher by 1.57% to £466.80, while Coca-Cola HBC climbed 1.42% to £4,296. Smith & Nephew rounded out the gainers, adding 1.37% to close at £1,148.
On the downside, Halma was among the biggest laggards, falling 2.38% to £4,762, while Fresnillo declined 1.92% to £3,123. Anglo American slipped 1.62% to £4,000 and Rio Tinto dropped 1.48% to £7,731. Antofagasta also weakened by 1.43% to £4,150, while Endeavour Mining edged lower by 1.21% to £4,173.
The legal team of US President Donald Trump refused to hand over financial documents requested by the BBC in his libel lawsuit against the broadcaster.
Trump is suing the BBC for $10 billion after he alleges an October 2024 Panorama documentary doctored his speech to make it look like he encouraged the January 6 Capitol riot.
In May, the average house price fell in London. According to the Halifax House Price Index, London’s average house price fell 1.5% year-on-year to £534,375 for the month.
For the wider South East region, prices fell 2.1% year-on-year to an average of £382,704. Nationally, house prices were up 0.5% year-on-year. The UK-wide average price was £298,806.
The annual rate of increase was half the one per cent rise identified for May last year. And prices were down 0.1% from April.
Also Read: Stock Market Today: Sensex Surges 200 Points to 74,580 While Nifty 50 Hits 23,472
In the US, the broader market held up, with the S&P 500 gaining 0.4% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 1.7% to a record high.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.31% to 66,588.12. Taiwan’s TAIEX declined 1.33% to 45,070.94 points. In China, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.11%. In India, both Nifty 50 and Sensex declined by 0.28% and 0.17%, respectively.
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