London stocks opened higher on Tuesday, with the FTSE 100 up 0.3% at 9,434.59, the FTSE 250 edging 0.2% higher to 21,914.38, and the AIM All-Share up 0.3% at 772.88.
Investors are weighing strong global cues against lingering domestic pressures, as UK borrowing data showed public sector net debt in September hitting £20.2 billion, the highest in five years.
Wall Street’s late-week rebound has provided support. On Monday, the Dow Jones and S&P 500 each gained 1.1%, while the Nasdaq climbed 1.4%, helping lift risk appetite worldwide. Optimism around US-China trade talks and hopes for a resolution to the US government shutdown added to the cautious positive tone in London.
Segro led the FTSE 100, up 3.1% after reporting strong third-quarter results. New headline rent for the quarter reached £22 million, taking the year-to-date total to £53 million, with CEO David Sleath highlighting momentum across the development programme and a growing data centre pipeline. Occupancy stood at 94%, and rent reviews delivered a 37% uplift year to date.
Defensive exposure was limited, as Coca-Cola HBC slipped 2.8% after announcing a $2.6 billion acquisition of a 75% stake in Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, which will create the world’s second-largest Coca-Cola bottling partner by volume. Completion is expected by the end of 2026, with a secondary listing planned on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
In the FTSE 250, Syncona rose 1.1% following plans to return up to £250 million to shareholders, while small-cap Eco Buildings Group surged 65% on a €420 million deal with the Chilean government to supply 20,000 modular homes.
The FTSE opened cautiously positive, balancing the UK’s fiscal strains against strong global earnings signals and the broad rebound from Wall Street.