Defense & Geopolitical Fragmentation▼
FTSE 100 Closes Down 0.71% as Middle East Tensions Overshadow New Prime Minister Boost
The London stock market closed lower on Monday, with the FTSE 100 index falling 75.61 points, or 0.71%, to end at 10,524.76 points, marking its biggest daily drop in about two weeks. Ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran continued to undermine global investment confidence, leading to a muted market response to Andy Burnham becoming the seventh prime minister of the United Kingdom in 10 years. Housebuilders slid 3.5%, the most among the main FTSE 350 sectors, while long-dated UK government bond yields rose, with the 30-year yield hitting a two-month high. Utilities fell 1.4%, and pharmaceuticals and biotechnology dropped 1.6%, with AstraZeneca down 1.7%. Banks lost 0.7%, and industrial metals miners declined 1.1%. Airline stocks came under selling pressure after Ryanair reported a one-third drop in quarterly profit, with Wizz Air tumbling 2.9%, while IAG and easyJet both fell 1.4%. Computacenter surged 5.6% after Berenberg upgraded its rating from hold to buy.