FTSE 100 Live: Index Opens Flat amid Rise in Oil Prices and Geopolitical Uncertainty

The FTSE 100 opened 3 points lower at 10,376.19, the flat start comes as US President Donald Trump abandoned the plan to send envoys to Pakistan for talks with Iran and an oil price increase. Brent crude saw a price surge. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose around 2.1% to trade near $96.41 per barrel, while Brent crude surged nearly 2.30% to hover close to $107.7 per barrel.

Gainers & Losers

Whitebread rose 3.35% to £2,539, while JD Sports Fashion jumps 1.52% to £71 and Burberry Group advanced 1.45% to £1,164.

Also, M&G edged up 1.29% to £298.40 and Metlen Energy & Metals gained 1.22% to £34.80, while Barratt Redrow rose 0.90% to £258.80.

On the downside, Intertek Group decline 2.87% to £4,672 and Reckitt Benckiser 1.43% to £4,705, while Endeavour Mining fell 1.39% to £4,485.

Among others, British American Tobacco dipped 1% to £4,259 and Unilever declined 0.74% to £4,249.

Christie Group Revenue Surges

Christie Group reported double-digit revenue growth and twofold pre-tax profit after a boom in its professional and financial services (PFS) arm.

For the financial year 2025, the group pocketed just above £6 million in pre-tax profit, up from £2.6 billion last year. It came as revenue increased to £70 million, at around 20% jump.

The company sold 1,164 businesses over the year with a total value of nearly £2 billion, a 45% year-on-year increase. 

PensionBee’s AUM reached £8 billion

PensionBee witnessed assets under administration (AUM) reach around £8 billion in the financial Q1, followed by high customer retention and robust net inflows.

Assets under administration (AUA) jumped to £8 billion (over $10 billion), as the provider reported investing for over 315,000 customers as of April.

Romi Savova, chief executive of PensionBee, said, “Our proposition continues to resonate deeply with the mass market, and our capabilities across technology, customer service, and brand are delivering at scale. The retirement savings market is vast and underserved, requiring a truly customer-centric offering.”

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Asian Stocks Jump

In Asia, stocks jumped in the morning as it was reported that Iran offered the US a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.9% to 6,601.7 points. 

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 1.4% to 60,593.2 points, driven by tech stocks. The CSI 300 declined 0.05%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng also dropped 0.3%, but Shanghai’s Composite managed to inch up 0.1%. 

India’s Nifty 50 and Sensex also reported gains, with both rising 0.85% respectively.