The FTSE 100 declined on Friday, marking a fifth straight session of losses, as broad-based weakness in mining and pharmaceutical stocks dragged the index lower. Miners came under pressure from falling industrial metal prices, with Antofagasta sliding more than 4%, Glencore down 2%, and both Anglo American and Rio Tinto losing over 1%. In contrast, Fresnillo and Endeavour pared steep earlier declines to finish close to unchanged, supported by a rebound in gold and silver prices.
Pharmaceutical shares also underperformed, with AstraZeneca and GSK each dropping more than 2%. By comparison, Shell gained around 1% amid resilient oil prices. Aviva advanced nearly 2% after reporting a 24% rise in first-half profit versus the previous year and reaffirming that it remains on course to meet its three-year group targets, lending further support to its stock. Over the week, the FTSE 100 fell roughly 1.4%.
