Britain’s FTSE 100 closed modestly higher on Tuesday, lifted by strong performances in defence and energy stocks, while broader sentiment remained cautious amid global trade tensions.
The blue-chip index rose 0.2%, supported by a 2.5% surge in the aerospace and defence sector, which hit an all-time high after Sir Keir Starmer pledged the largest sustained boost to UK defence spending since the Cold War. In contrast, the FTSE 250 mid-cap index slipped 0.1%.
Energy heavyweights also provided support, with Shell gaining 1.7% and BP up 0.6% as oil prices climbed nearly 2%.
However, mining stocks weighed on the market, with both industrial and precious metals miners falling more than 1% as copper and gold prices came under pressure.
Despite the gains, market sentiment remained fragile, as investors monitored the fallout from Donald Trump’s announcement on Friday to double tariffs on imported steel and aluminium from 25% to 50%, raising concerns over escalating trade tensions.
Wall Street climbs as surprise rise in job openings signals US resilience
US stocks are trading higher today, buoyed by a stronger-than-expected rise in job openings, which some investors interpret as a sign of underlying strength in the American economy despite ongoing trade uncertainty.
According to the US Labor Department, employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies in April, up from 7.2 million in March. The figure beat economists’ expectations, who had forecast a decline to 7.1 million.
In afternoon trading, the S&P 500 is up 0.6%, the Nasdaq has climbed 1.1%, and the Dow Jones is ahead by 0.4%.
