The FTSE 100 opened 51 points above from its previous close to 10,375 as geopolitical tensions eased after US President Donald Trump called off a planned military strike on Iran, citing "serious negotiations" toward a peace deal. 

Gainers & Losers

IG Group Holdings surged 8.50% to £1,710, while Diploma advanced 4.98% to £6,955 and Rightmove gained 4.67% to £425.50.

Among others, Airtel Africa rose 4.48% to £326.80, while 3i Group added 3.94% to £2,164 and Sage Group edged higher by 3.06% to £909.20.

On the downside, Rio Tinto declined 1.83% to £7,586, while Antofagasta slipped 1.45% to £3,731 and Anglo American fell 0.90% to £3,747.

Among other laggards, Fresnillo eased 0.90% to £3,303, while Lion Finance Group dropped 0.63% to £10,990 and Endeavour Mining edged lower by 0.62% to £4,478.

Currys Expect Higher Profits 

Currys said it expects profits to beat guidance after strong trading in both the UK and Nordic markets helped it gain market share. 

The electrical retailer said adjusted pre-tax profit for the year to 2 May is expected to be about £191 million, up 18% on the previous year and ahead of recently indicated guidance of £180-£190 million.

Job Vacancies at 5-year Lows

The Office of National Statistics estimates a decline of 28,000 vacancies in the three months to April 2026, now at 705,000. 

Meanwhile, the rate of unemployment climbed back up by 5% in the three months to March 2026, that’s after it had dropped to 4.9% in last month’s release. 

“Latest figures suggest the labour market remains soft, with vacancies at their lowest level in five years and unemployment higher than a year ago,” Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at the ONS, said. 

Diploma Upgrades Targets 

Diploma revealed a 17% increase in total revenue to £851.1 million, up from the £728.5 million recorded during the same period last year. 

Profit for the period reached £165.1 million, up from £139.4 million, driven by performance in its controls sector that sells specialised parts used to build and power equipment in industries like aerospace, defence, data centres, and energy. 

Over the last 12 months, Diploma has also sealed 15 deals as part of its acquisition strategy, with seven 7 deals since its first quarter update. The firm upgraded its full-year guidance, expecting revenue growth of 12%, up from 9%, whilst operating profit growth is set to come in at over 30%. 

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Standard Chartered Restructuring 

Standard Chartered said it would cut over 15% of its corporate function roles by 2030 as part of a restructuring aimed at lifting income per employee by around 20% by 2028, alongside a new return on tangible equity target of 15% in 2028 and approximately 18% by 2030.

Global Market View

In US, stocks were mixed overnight, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropping 0.5%, the S&P 500 just below flat and the blue-chip Dow Jones rising 0.3%.

In Asia, the Kospi fell 2.6% to 7,319.3 points. Japan’s Nikkei 225 dipped 0.4% at 60,575.5, while in Taiwan the TAIEX fell 1.7%. China’s Shanghai Composite and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng up 0.4% and 0.2% respectively. India followed suit, following positive momentum in IT stocks, with the Sensex and Nifty 50 up 0.3% and 0.2%.