Defence stocks surged today, propelling the FTSE 100 to a record high as investors anticipated increased military spending across Europe.
BAE Systems soared 14% amid expectations that the UK and European nations would ramp up defence budgets to strengthen Ukraine’s position against Russia’s invasion. The FTSE 100 closed at 8,871.31, up 0.7%.
“Europe is rallying around Ukraine, and it’s hard to see defence stocks not benefiting from years of orders,” said Neil Wilson, an analyst at TipRanks.
Across Europe, French defence giant Thales jumped 15% following Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement that Britain would back a £1.6bn missile deal with the company. Meanwhile, German defence firm Rheinmetall also climbed 15%.
On Sunday, European leaders agreed to boost defence spending in a bid to demonstrate military self-reliance to US President Donald Trump. This follows tensions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, which led to Zelenskiy cutting short his visit to Washington.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “We urgently have to rearm Europe,” as leaders gathered in London for crisis talks on Ukraine.
Germany’s prospective ruling coalition is reportedly planning to invest hundreds of billions of euros into defence and infrastructure, according to Bild newspaper.
