FTSE 100 Opens Higher as Banks Rebound and Trade Hopes Lift Mood
The FTSE 100 opened 0.5% higher at 9,396.84, driven by a rebound in banking stocks and optimism over US-China trade talks.
- HSBC rose 1.7%
- Standard Chartered gained 2.1%
- Lloyds added 1.4%
- Barclays climbed 1.5%
Defence stocks also saw significant gains, with
Babcock jumping 2.9%, BAE Systems gaining 1.5%, and Rolls-Royce adding 2.8%.
European defence names followed suit, with Rheinmetall, Leonardo, and Safran rising 4.4%, 3.2%, and 2.1% respectively.
Author's summary: FTSE 100 rises on banking and trade optimism.