UK Defensive tilt tempers gains: the UK navigated a landscape of shifting sentiment during April as geopolitical unrest and domestic inflation weighed on the outlook. Although the FTSE 100 Index closed the month higher, its defensive bias and exposure to energy stocks meant it lagged broader international markets. Over April, the FTSE 100 Index rose by 2% while the FTSE 250 Index climbed by 5.9%. Inflationary pressures intensify: the UK’s rate of inflation rose from 3% to 3.3

UK UK markets fell in March: Investor sentiment and market movements were dominated in March by unfolding developments in the Middle East as the conflict between the US and Iran intensified. During the month, the FTSE 100 Index dropped by 6.7%, while the FTSE 250 Index fell by 10.7%. Amid speculation over the prospect of interest rate increases – rather than the rate cuts anticipated by many investors before war broke out – the yield on the 10-year gilt breached 5%. The Bank

FTSE hits a fresh record: the FTSE 100 Index ended February at a record high, closing over 10,900 points for the first time ever. Performance was driven by stocks in the defence and mining sectors, which were boosted by escalating tensions in the Middle East, and by the UK’s relatively low exposure to companies in the technology sector. Meanwhile, an agreed bid for asset manager and FTSE 100 constituent Schroders from US investment group Nuveen propelled Schroders’ share pric

UK Geopolitical tensions: the FTSE 100 Index began 2026 with a bang, breaching 10,000 points for the first time ever. Investor sentiment was rattled during January by mounting geopolitical tensions and surging gold prices as US President Donald Trump set his sights on Greenland. Threats of higher tariffs on several European countries, including the UK, raised fears that the US/UK “special relationship” might be in decline, although tensions died down towards the end of the mo

UK A strong year for UK equities: 2025 proved to be a standout year for the FTSE 100 Index, which notched up its best annual performance since 2009 and outperformed US equity markets over the year. The FTSE 100 Index rose by 2.2% during December, and by 21.5% over 2025 as a whole. In comparison, the FTSE 250 Index climbed by 1.4% over the month and by 9% over the year. In a review of FTSE 100 Index constituents, British Land was promoted to the blue-chip index, while WPP was