FX.co ★ FTSE 100 Rebounds after 2-Day Drop

The FTSE 100 climbed more than 0.5% on Wednesday, rebounding after two sessions of steep declines, as investors digested mixed signals on the Iran conflict — including Tehran’s rejection of reports that it had reached out to Washington to negotiate an end to hostilities. Financial stocks led the advance, with HSBC Holdings up nearly 2%, Barclays 1.5%, Lloyds Banking Group 1.3%, NatWest Group 1.5% and Standard Chartered 2%. Healthcare and defence shares also gained ground: AstraZeneca added 0.7%, BAE Systems 1.2%, Babcock International 1% and Rolls-Royce 4.2%. By contrast, oil majors lagged, with BP down 2.6% and Shell off 1.6%.