The blue-chip FTSE 100 index rose 0.6% as of 0921 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 fell 0.5%
International News via Reuters:
London’s FTSE 100 advanced on Monday, lifted by gains in mining and energy stocks tracking higher commodity prices, though sentiment remained shaky as the Middle East war entered its fifth week.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index rose 0.6% as of 0921 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 fell 0.5%. Both indexes however, were on track for firm monthly losses. * Rio Tinto rose 3.5%, providing the biggest boost to thebenchmark index after the mining giant said operations at threeof its four Pilbara iron ore port terminals have resumed afterTropical Cyclone Narelle swept through Western Australia’sPilbara region. * The Middle East conflict showed no sign of easing, withthe Israeli military saying that Iran launched multiple waves ofmissiles at Israel, and an attack had also been launched fromYemen for only the second time since the U.S.-Israeli war began. * Energy stocks climbed 1.4% to a record high as crude oilprices remained elevated, with Brent crude headed for a recordmonthly rise. [O/R] * Britain’s finance minister Rachel Reeves will urge G7counterparts to avoid unilateral measures such as new tradebarriers during the Iran war, warning they could worsen energyinsecurity and disrupt global supply chains. * The travel and leisure sub-index fell 1.1%, on pace fordouble-digit monthly losses as the Iran war raised fuel-costfears and disrupted key flight routes, threatening profits. * Meanwhile, British mortgage approvals rose by more thanexpected last month and consumer credit grew at a faster pacethan in January, Bank of England data showed on Monday, ahead ofa potential hit from higher borrowing costs caused by the Iranwar. * A domestic fourth-quarter GDP rating and U.S. jobs reportfor March will be released later this week.
Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli
