Stock prices in London opened slightly lower on Monday, with the FTSE 100 (UKX) down 0.1%, the FTSE 250 down 0.3%, and the AIM All-Share up 0.6%.
By 12:00 GMT, the FTSE 100 was trading at 10,124.47.
Pressure came from overseas markets, where gold surged and US futures and the dollar weakened following renewed concerns over Federal Reserve independence. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell revealed the Justice Department had served the central bank with grand jury subpoenas, heightening market uncertainty about potential political interference in monetary policy.
Most sectors in London were cautious, with Barclays (LON:BARC) leading declines on the FTSE 100, down 4%, amid worries over US proposals to cap credit card interest rates.
British Land (LON:BLND) fell 2.9% after CEO Simon Carter announced he will step down to lead European logistics investor P3 Logistics Parks.
JD Sports Fashion (LON:JD) climbed 1.8% after unveiling plans to let customers buy products directly via AI platforms, partnering with Commercetools and Stripe to enable one-click purchases.
On the FTSE 250, Oxford Nanopore soared 8.1% after announcing 2025 revenue of £223–224 million, up from £183.2 million the previous year, exceeding guidance. The sequencing specialist reported strong growth across all regions, with EMEAI, APAC, and Americas each surpassing 20% constant-currency growth.
Macro & Labour Market
In the UK, the latest Recruitment & Employment Confederation survey showed permanent staff placements fell at the fastest pace in four months, highlighting ongoing uncertainty in the labour market ahead of the budget. The Bank of England will monitor these trends closely when setting interest rates next month.
FTSE 100 Top Gainers
| Company | Ticker | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Fresnillo | FRES | +7.13% |
| Endeavour Mining | EDV | +2.98% |
| BAE Systems | BA. | +2.73% |
| Glencore | GLEN | +2.18% |
| Sage Group | SGE | +2.17% |
FTSE 100 Top Fallers
| Company | Ticker | Drop |
|---|---|---|
| Barclays | BARC | -3.37% |
| WPP | WPP | -3.32% |
| Mondi | MNDI | -3.12% |
| Ashtead Group | AHT | -2.93% |
| Land Securities | LAND | -2.72% |