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 renewed optimism over US-China trade talks.
- Financial stocks led the gains, with HSBC up 1.7%, Standard Chartered rising 2.1%, Lloyds adding 1.4%, and Barclays climbing 1.5%.
- Defence shares also attracted attention, with Babcock jumping 2.9%, BAE Systems gaining 1.5%, and Rolls-Royce adding 2.8%.
- European defence names followed suit, with Rheinmetall in Frankfurt climbing 4.4%, Leonardo in Milan up 3.2%, and Safran in Paris rising 2.1%.
Investor sentiment was buoyed by reports that the US and China will hold another round of trade talks this week.
Author summary: FTSE 100 rises on banking rebound and trade optimism.