BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Despite a positive trend in most of the markets across Europe following Lebanon and Israel agreeing to implement ceasefire, the UK stock market's benchmark index FTSE 100 drifted lower on Thursday, weighed down by losses in energy, mining and financials sectors.
The FTSE 100 was down 85.75 points or 0.83% at 10,246.55 about a quarter before noon.
Prudential and Standard Chartered both dropped nearly 7%. HSBC Holdings shed about 5%.
Rio Tinto, Antofagasta, Polar Capital Technology Trust, Sainsbury (J), Vodafone Group, British American Tobacco, Anglo American Plc., Halma, Games Workshop and Shell lost 1%-3%.
Relx moved up 3.2%. JD Sports Fashion, AutoTrader Group and 3i Group also gained more than 3%.
Online trading and investment company CMC Markets soared 16% after raising its FY27 net operating income outlook.
LSEG, Entain, Berkeley Group Holdings, Experian, Barratt Redrow, The Sage Group, Coca-Cola HBC, Whitbread, Haleon, Compass Group, RightMove, Pearson and Bunzl also posted strong gains.
Data from S&P Global showed the S&P Global UK Construction PMI fell to 38.2 in May 2026 from 39.7 in April. The reading was expected to come in at 40.2. May's reading marks the sharpest contraction in construction activity since May 2020.
Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited (SMMT) showed new car sales in UK climbed 7.1% year-over-year to 160,662 units in May, the strongest May performance since 2019.
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