FTSE 100 Opens Higher as Banks Rebound and Trade Hopes Lift Mood
London markets started Monday on a positive note, shaking off last week’s banking-led sell-off. The FTSE 100 opened 0.5% higher at 9,396.84, the FTSE 250 added 0.1% to 21,807.47, while the AIM All-Share slipped slightly to 772.00.
Financial stocks led the gains, with HSBC up 1.7%, Standard Chartered rising 2.1%, Lloyds adding 1.4%, and Barclays climbing 1.5%. Investor sentiment was buoyed by reports that the US and China will hold another round of trade talks this week, easing concerns over another round of tit-for-tat tariffs.
Defence shares also attracted attention. Babcock jumped 2.9%, BAE Systems gained 1.5%, and Rolls-Royce added 2.8%. European defence names followed suit: Rheinmetall in Frankfurt climbed 4.4%, Leonardo in Milan was up 3.2%, and Safran in Paris rose 2.1%.
Author's summary: FTSE 100 opens higher due to banks rebound.