U.K. stocks closed the trading day lower on Thursday, with losses concentrated in several cyclical and financial sectors. The United Kingdom 100 fell 0.19% at the close, as declines in Banking, Household Goods & Home Construction and Automobiles & Parts pulled the market down.
Top performers
- Rentokil Initial PLC (LON:RTO) led gains on the index, rising 5.16% or 24.10 points to finish at 491.40. The move pushed the stock to 52-week highs.
- Airtel Africa Plc (LON:AAF) added 3.26% or 11.00 points, ending the session at 348.60.
- SSE PLC (LON:SSE) climbed 3.17% or 83.00 points to 2,704.00, reaching an all-time high in late trade.
Biggest decliners
- WPP PLC (LON:WPP) was the heaviest loser on the session, dropping 7.91% or 20.20 points to 235.20. The share price hit a five-year low.
- Persimmon PLC (LON:PSN) fell 6.31% or 80.00 points to close at 1,188.50.
- HSBC Holdings PLC (LON:HSBA) declined 6.05% or 77.00 points to end the day at 1,195.80.
On the London Stock Exchange, decliners outnumbered advancers by 1,106 to 691, while 502 issues finished unchanged. That breadth picture underscores the broader weakness across multiple sectors despite pockets of strength among specific stocks.
Commodities and FX
Across commodities, April gold futures were lower, down 0.89% or 46.24 to $5,132.86 a troy ounce. Energy markets moved decisively higher: April delivery crude oil climbed 8.70% or 7.59 to $94.84 a barrel, and the May Brent contract rose 8.05% or 7.40 to trade at $99.38 a barrel.
In foreign exchange, the pound weakened versus the dollar, with GBP/USD down 0.41% to 1.34. EUR/GBP was effectively unchanged, registering a 0.06% move to 0.86. The U.S. dollar showed relative strength, with the U.S. Dollar Index futures up 0.40% at 99.62.
What the session shows
The session was marked by divergence: select names posted meaningful gains and, in some cases, new highs, while several large-cap names sustained sharp losses that contributed to the index decline. Market breadth favored falling stocks, reflecting wider pressure across financials, household and autos on the day.