The FTSE 100 rose 0.5% on Monday, reaching its highest level since early March, though it lagged other major European indices as losses in heavyweight energy stocks capped overall gains. Risk sentiment improved after the US paused its air campaign against Iran for a second consecutive night, while Tehran held back from retaliatory action and continued talks with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz. The easing of geopolitical tensions pushed Brent crude back below $91 per barrel, pressuring oil producers. Shell dropped more than 2%, while BP slipped around 1.4%.
Beyond energy, gains were broadly based: HSBC advanced more than 1.5%, Rolls-Royce climbed nearly 3%, BAT rose 2%, Rio Tinto gained 1.1%, Unilever added 0.9%, and GSK was up 0.7%. In corporate news, AstraZeneca posted second-quarter earnings ahead of expectations and reaffirmed both its full-year guidance and its targets for 2030.
