FX.co ★ FTSE 100 Outperforms as Europe Falls

On Monday, the FTSE 100 made gains, defying declines observed in other European markets following President Trump's decision to impose 30% tariffs on imports from the EU and Mexico. A significant contributor to this rise was AstraZeneca, which saw a 3% increase thanks to promising trial outcomes for its experimental hypertension medication, Baxdrostat. This drug, acquired via CinCor Pharma in 2023, holds the potential to become a blockbuster, with annual sales forecasts surpassing $5 billion. UK mining stocks also experienced an upswing, spurred by stronger-than-expected export data from China in June, which buoyed the outlook for companies tied to commodities. Glencore, Rio Tinto, Anglo American, and Antofagasta each rose by 0.9% to 1.3%. Further benefiting from China's positive economic indicators were firms with significant Asian market exposure, with Diageo, HSBC, Standard Chartered, and Prudential all registering gains.