FTSE 100 Live: London Stock Exchange and Rentokil Lead Gains; BP, Shell Rise on Russia Sanctions

The FTSE 100 index extended its rise on Thursday, supported by financial, energy and industrial stocks showing strength. The benchmark index rose 25 points in early trade to 9,549.72, closing in towards its all-time intraday high of 9,577 fueled by optimism from corporate earnings and international developments.

London Stock Exchange Surges on Strong Q3 Update

Shares of London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) jumped 5.37% to £9,188 after the company reported solid third-quarter growth and reaffirmed its upbeat full-year outlook. The exchange and financial analytics group announced a 6.4% increase in total income.

Chief Executive David Schwimmer said the firm’s “strong momentum” continued, positioning LSEG as a “partner of choice in AI” through collaborations with Microsoft and Databricks. 

Analysts said the update reassured investors after months of stock weakness, narrowing its year-to-date decline to under 20%.

Rentokil Leads the Gains

Rentokil was the top gainer of the session, soaring 9.72% to £446.90 after reporting continued business expansion in its pest control division. 

The company said third-quarter revenue grew 4.6%, led by 3.4% underlying growth in North America, reinforcing investor confidence in its post-merger integration with Terminix.

Energy Stocks Boost FTSE

Energy giants BP and Shell added to the FTSE’s strength, rising 2.33% and 2.21%, respectively, after crude prices spiked following new US sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil. 

The sanctions, part of President Donald Trump’s renewed pressure campaign on Moscow, are expected to tighten global oil supply.

Brent crude futures climbed 3.4% to $60.46 per barrel on Thursday, boosting sentiment for UK-listed oil majors. The UK government followed suit, imposing similar restrictions on Russian energy exports.

Mixed Corporate Movers

Luxury brand Burberry rose 5.15% to £1,303, tracking gains across retail peers, while Endeavour Mining and Fresnillo gained 3.87% to £3,166 and 3.56% to £2,162, respectively, supported by firmer precious metal prices.

However, a few major names weighed on the index. Ashtead Group fell 3.32% to £5,250, while Games Workshop and Next slipped nearly 1% each, reflecting sector-specific caution.

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Broader Market Overview

Financial heavyweight Lloyds Banking Group traded flat at £84.4 after posting a 36% drop in Q3 profit to £1.17 billion, citing an £800 million motor finance redress charge. Still, analysts said underlying business metrics remain solid, with net interest income up 7%.

Meanwhile, Foxtons shares fell after the London property group cut its full-year guidance due to slowing home sales ahead of the delayed Autumn Budget.