The FTSE 100 slipped on Friday, mirroring a broader decline across European equity markets as falling oil prices and a selloff in US technology stocks weighed on sentiment. Crude prices retreated amid rising optimism over a potential US–Iran peace agreement and the resumption of normal shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz, pressuring energy heavyweights BP and Shell, which fell 2% and 0.8% respectively.
Global risk appetite deteriorated further after a drop in Apple’s share price and reports that OpenAI may postpone its initial public offering. The risk-off tone hit financials and cyclicals, dragging HSBC down more than 1.5% and pulling aerospace manufacturer Rolls-Royce 1.4% lower. Among the miners, Rio Tinto eased 0.4%, while Glencore declined more than 2%.
Not all sectors participated in the selloff. Pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca gained 1.4%, while consumer staples proved resilient, with Unilever up 0.7% and British American Tobacco advancing 1.5%. Despite Friday’s pullback, the FTSE 100 still ended the week 1.5% higher.
