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.
- Financial stocks led the gains: HSBC up 1.7%, Standard Chartered rising 2.1%, Lloyds adding 1.4%, and Barclays climbing 1.5%.
- Defence shares also rose: Babcock jumped 2.9%, BAE Systems gained 1.5%, and Rolls-Royce added 2.8%.
- European defence names followed suit, with Rheinmetall, Leonardo, and Safran rising 4.4%, 3.2%, and 2.1% respectively.
Investor sentiment was buoyed by reports of another round of US-China trade talks, easing concerns over tariffs.
No direct quotes available in the text.
Author's summary: FTSE 100 rises amid banking rebound and trade optimism.