FX.co ★ FTSE 100 Hits New Record

On Wednesday, the FTSE 100 advanced by 0.9%, reaching an unprecedented high of 10,402. This rise was driven by gains in healthcare, defensive sectors, and oil companies, which managed to counterbalance the declines observed in the mining sector and stocks linked to artificial intelligence. GSK experienced a significant boost, surging over 7%, following a robust fourth-quarter earnings report that confirmed its projections for 2026 and surpassed long-term sales targets anticipated by analysts. Oil majors benefited as well, with Shell increasing nearly 3% and BP climbing about 2.5%, spurred on by a continuing rise in crude prices amid escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran. Conversely, mining stocks saw a downturn, with Fresnillo falling by almost 3.3%, Endeavour declining 2.5%, Antofagasta dropping over 5%, along with decreases in Anglo American, Rio Tinto, and Glencore, as the prices for gold, silver, and copper weakened. Additionally, stocks perceived as susceptible to the disruptions caused by artificial intelligence extended their losses. Among these, Relx decreased by 1%, London Stock Exchange Group dropped 1.6%, and WPP fell by 2.6%, reflecting investors' growing apprehensions concerning AI-related risks to their business models.