The FTSE 100 drifted flat to lower on Friday, pressured by weakness in mining and defence shares. Among miners, Antofagasta and Anglo American each dropped more than 1.5%, while Glencore slipped around 1% and Rio Tinto edged down 0.6%. Precious metals producers Fresnillo and Endeavour also retreated by more than 1%, as gold and silver hovered near one-year lows and copper traded at a four-month low.
Defence and aerospace names were also under pressure. Rolls-Royce slid nearly 2%, while BAE Systems and Babcock both declined by more than 1%. By contrast, oil majors provided some support to the index: Shell and BP advanced more than 1%, buoyed by a rebound in crude prices amid renewed uncertainty over US–Iran relations, after President Donald Trump suggested Washington could walk away from a deal with Tehran.
In corporate news, Aviva gained 2% after the insurer reaffirmed its three-year targets and reported stronger inflows into its wealth division. Despite Friday’s muted session, the FTSE 100 still finished the week more than 1.5% higher.
