London stocks found a bit more energy on Tuesday as investors edged positions ahead of the final stretch of the year.
It is the last full trading day of 2025 for the London market, with a shortened session on Wednesday before New Year’s Day brings trading to a halt until Friday.
By 10:30 GMT, the FTSE 100 was up 0.36%, the FTSE 250 had added 0.17% and the AIM All-Share was ahead by 0.31%, reflecting a slightly firmer tone across the board.
Fresnillo was the standout early mover, climbing 4.4% as precious metals stocks remained in focus despite recent profit-taking in gold and silver.
In the small-cap space, Gulf Marine Services rose 2.9% after securing a two-year contract extension for a mid-size vessel operating in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. The deal includes a one-year firm period with an optional second year and lifts the company’s backlog to $607 million, providing some welcome year-end visibility.
Eurasia Mining moved sharply in the opposite direction, sliding 35% after agreeing to sell its West Kytlim operations in the Urals for $9 million. The company said the sale reduces the risk of nationalisation without compensation and allows it to focus on its Arctic assets, which it considers better protected and more strategically important. Shareholders will vote on the deal in mid-January, with directors and management backing the transaction.
Later in the day, attention turns to the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s December meeting. The Fed delivered its third consecutive rate cut last month, taking rates to 3.50%–3.75%, and investors will be looking for clues on how close policymakers believe they are to neutral.
As 2025 draws to a close, the FTSE 100 is on track to finish the year up around 20%, comfortably outperforming its North American peers and underlining the appeal of London’s more defensive, lower-tech-heavy market.