Investors began the session weighing monetary policy announcements from the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank as the FTSE 100 opened 27.57 points higher at 10,749.64. Meanwhile, Brent crude futures climbed 2.4% to reach USD 117.2 per barrel, and US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) moved up 1.89% to USD 103.9 a barrel.
Early Friday, the British pound exchanged hands at USD 1.3394, rising from its previous close of USD 1.3369 on Thursday. Against the common currency, sterling inched up slightly to EUR 1.1978 compared to EUR 1.1977 the day before.
Gainers and Losers
Leading the advancers, Airtel Africa picked up 2.26% to hit 280.40p, and Reckitt Benckiser Group moved up 1.48% to 5,360.00p. Experian gained 1.47% to 2,973.00p, Imperial Brands advanced 1.24% to 2,940.00p, RELX increased 1.13% to 2,948.00p, and Segro ticked up 0.70% to 915.80p.
Among the top fallers, Polar Capital Technology Trust dropped 3.41% to 608.50p, while Fresnillo slid 3.22% to 2,281.00p. Antofagasta went down 3.05% to 3,174.00p, Endeavour Mining retreated 2.63% to 3,843.00p, Anglo American declined 2.51% to 3,768.00p, and Rolls-Royce Holdings dropped 2.11% to 1,253.00p.
NatWest Profits Surged
NatWest posted a surge in third-quarter profit, bolstered by additions from the Evelyn Partners acquisition. The lender reported a pre-tax profit matching forecasts at GBP 2.2 billion, representing a 1.9% year-on-year increase.
The bank’s wealth unit experienced a 47% revenue spike relative to the second quarter, driven by assets under management income climbing to GBP 225 million from GBP 92 million.
Furthermore, group non-interest income topped forecasts at just under GBP 1.1 billion—surpassing the GBP 1 billion consensus—which cushioned a minor shortfall in net interest income that missed expectations by GBP 49 million at GBP 3.6 billion.
BP Profits Jumped
BP saw its profits expand as elevated oil prices, fueled by the conflict in Iran, drove up profit margins. The energy major delivered third-quarter earnings of USD 8.5 billion (GBP 6.3 billion), nearly quadrupling its performance from the same timeframe last year, while cutting its debt load in half over the past 12 months to USD 13.9 billion.
“The industry as a whole has been showing remarkable adaptability,” chief executive Meg O’Neill said.
“Refineries have been running close to capacity to make up for shortfalls, shipping has been taking different and longer routes, and releases from strategic and commercial reserves are helping to bridge supply gaps.”
Also Read: Indian Rupee Gains 11 Paise Against US Dollar After Fed Rate Decision
Global Market View
State-side equities faced pressure during early Friday trading, with NASDAQ-100 futures sliding 2% following downbeat quarterly figures from Amazon and Intel. S&P 500-linked futures dropped 0.9%, while Dow futures remained unchanged.
Across Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 retreated 2.12% to close at 63,290.11, and the Shanghai Composite in mainland China lost 1.44%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.54%, whereas South Korea’s Kospi dropped 3.48%. In India, the Nifty 50 and the Sensex posted gains of 0.64% and 0.53%, respectively.
