FTSE 100 Live: Index Likely to Open Flat Amid Decline in Oil Prices

The FTSE 100 opened flat, up only 4 points to 10,613. This comes amid mixed global cues and a fall in Brent crude prices. Brent crude futures declined as much as 1.31% to $94.22 per barrel. Meanwhile, US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded at $85.5, down 2.19%.

Gainers & Losers

SSE jumped 3.30% to £2,599.50 as the government confirmed plans to move older wind and solar farms onto fixed-price contracts. British Land rose 2.27% to £404.80 as the firm increased its outlook after a strong year. 

Among others, Compass Group advanced 1.85% to £28.99, and Centrica jumped 1.42% to £207.20, while RELX gained 1.40% to £2,744.

Also, Land Securities Group rose 1.38% to £623.

On the downside, Associated British Foods fell 4.2% after confirming its plan to split into two. AstraZeneca backed 1.02% to £14,800.

Among others, Associated British Foods declined 4.70% to £1,796.50, while Berkeley Group Holdings fell 1.37% to £3,446 and Endeavour Mining fell 1.01% to £4,890.

Unemployment Falls in the UK 

According to the Office for National Statistics, the UK unemployment rate declined to 4.9% in February from 5.2%, below forecasts of 5.2%. Average weekly earnings excluding bonuses rose 3.6% in the three months to February compared to a year ago, down from 3.8% in January and above the estimate of 3.5%. 

“The number of workers on payroll remained broadly flat in recent periods, reflecting ongoing weak hiring," says Liz McKeown, ONS director of economic statistics.

Regulator Approves Heathrow Fee Hike 

Flight ticket prices from Heathrow are set to rise as the regulator approves a rise in airline fees to cover the costs of its third runway. 

Heathrow would be allowed to recover up to £320 million it has spent so far on its proposals, which include early work this year and in 2025 on a planning application for its £33 billion expansion, the Civil Aviation Authority said (CAA). 

The regulator said the move “would allow Heathrow Airport to have the resources necessary to continue its work on expanding the airport”. 

THG Shares Rise

THG delivered its best quarterly performance in five years. The beauty and nutrition e-commerce firm reported a revenue growth of 7% for Q1 of 2026. The business posted revenue of £393.1 million, led by 8.1% growth in its nutrition division to £159.8 million.

“It is energising for everyone at THG to see such a strong start to 2026,” said chief executive Matt Moulding. THG shares surged 9.5% to £42.2 in early trade.

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Global Market View

US stocks pulled back overnight, the Nasdaq slipped 0.3%, the S&P 500 softened 0.2%, and the Dow Jones remained flat. 

Asian stocks were mostly positive in the morning, with Japan's Nikkei up 0.9% and India's Sensex climbing 0.7%, but the Shanghai Composite was down 0.1%.