FTSE 100 Live: FTSE 100 Rises as Sage and HSBC Lead Gains; Miners Retreat, Inflation Pressures Persist

The FTSE 100 opened higher on Tuesday, with index edging up 0.3% or 26.9 points to 10,176 as gains in software, banking, and defence stocks outweighed weakness in the mining and travel sectors supported by strong corporate updates and a broadly positive global market.

Sage and Financials Drive the Upside

Sage Group climbed 4% to £1,082 after the firm reported a robust start to its financial year as its underlying revenues grew 10% in the first quarter. 

HSBC shares rose 2% to £1264.4 and Prudential gained £13.5 to £1179.5 following a strong session for Asian stock markets.

Burberry added around 1.4%, extending a modest recovery, while Spirax Group advanced 1.87% to £7,350.

NatWest Group also increased by 1.17% to £658.

Miners and Travel Stocks Lose Ground

Antofagasta fell 2.12% to 3,695, Rio Tinto declined 0.73% to £6,627, Anglo American dipped 0.96% to £3,415, and Endeavour Mining backed 0.88% to £4,502. The pullback came despite firm gold prices, suggesting profit-taking after the sector’s recent rally.

EasyJet dipped 1% ahead of its upcoming trading update, while betting group Entain dropped more than 1%, reflecting continued caution around consumer discretionary spending.

Big Technologies £39 million legal settlement 

Big Technologies said its revenue and pre-tax earnings were set to come in ahead of market expectations after it saw strong growth in the Americas. 

The maker of ankle bracelet monitoring devices said it saw revenue growth of 3% to £48.1 million while annual recurring revenue, a measure of the value of its current contracts, was up 12% to £52.4 million. 

Last week, Big announced it had reached a £39 million settlement with its former shareholders, who alleged that they had been unfairly pushed out of the company in a restructuring prior to its IPO.

Pubs set for £300 million Treasury support

The Chancellor is set to unveil a £300 million support package for pubs after they warned budget tax changes could lead to mass closures, job cuts and price rises. 

In the budget, the Treasury announced changes to business rates which introduced a lower multiplier used to calculate the commercial property tax. 

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Macro Signals Remain Mixed

UK shop price inflation jumped to 1.5% in January, up sharply from December’s 0.7%, according to the British Retail Consortium. 

Higher energy costs and increased National Insurance contributions were cited as key drivers, raising concerns that inflation pressures may be more persistent than previously expected.

Globally, sentiment was supported by gains on Wall Street, where the Dow Jones rose 0.6%, the S&P 500 gained 0.5%, and the Nasdaq added 0.4% ahead of a key US Federal Reserve decision. 

In Asia, South Korea’s Kospi index hit a record high, even as fresh tariff threats from the US added to trade uncertainty.