The UK stock market ended another volatile week on a weaker footing, marking its second consecutive weekly decline. The FTSE 100 finished Friday down 44 points, or 0.43%, closing at 10,261. Overall, the index slipped around 0.23% for the week. The only positive session came on Tuesday, when the market briefly rebounded, gaining 1.6%.
Despite that recovery attempt, the broader trend remained negative. The latest drop follows a sharp 5.7% decline during the first week of the Iran war, highlighting the ongoing volatility facing global markets.
The price of a barrel of Brent crude has soared by more than 42% since US-Israeli strikes on Iran plunged the oil-rich Middle East into war, market data showed Friday. The cost of Brent, the international benchmark for oil, has surged from $72.48 on February 27 to $103.14 at Friday’s close. This also marked an 11% rise over the week.
The West Texas Intermediate, meanwhile, has rocketed more than 47% since the start of the conflict, to $98.71.
The Strait of Hormuz, helium supply, and the quiet strategic shift investors are starting to notice
AIM All-Share, which fell 2.6% this week and is down roughly 7% since the US and Israel began striking Iran, turning the conflict into a high-stakes geopolitical standoff centred on the Strait of Hormuz.
Those numbers may not sound dramatic, but in market terms they represent a meaningful shift in sentiment.
The consequences go beyond falling share prices.
During risk-off periods, smaller companies that rely on markets like AIM to raise capital can suddenly find funding conditions deteriorate sharply. Investors become reluctant to commit fresh cash, slowing new listings and making fundraising far more difficult.
That challenge is especially acute now. AIM has already been struggling to attract capital since the outbreak of the Ukraine war four years ago.
Risers
The standout performer was 88Energy, the Anglo-Australian oil explorer with assets in Alaska and Namibia, whose shares surged 77%.
The explanation is largely technical.
Recent fundraising rounds brought a large number of small shareholders onto the register. The company then opened a facility allowing more than 6,000 investors to exit their holdings.
This created what traders call a stock overhang, where persistent selling pressure weighs on the share price until the excess supply clears. Once those sellers were absorbed by the market, the stock rebounded sharply — returning to levels last seen early last year.
Other Notable Movers
CloudCoCo, the IT support specialist, climbed 70% after announcing plans for a modest fundraising, capital restructuring and ambitious revenue targets.
Meanwhile Catenai, the digital solutions group, rose 48% after its investee company Alludium launched a no-code AI agent platform. Catenai also reinforced its commitment to the venture by investing £250,000 in the latest funding round.
Shares in Pantheon Resources rose sharply on Thursday after the Alaska-focused oil and gas explorer announced planned changes to its board. The AIM-listed company said it intends to appoint Lord Spencer of Alresford as chairman, while David Wilkins will also join the board. At the same time, David Hobbs and Jeremy Brest are stepping down as directors and will not stand for re-election at the company’s annual general meeting today.
Investors reacted positively to the governance reshuffle, sending the share price up 41% to 11.59p.
Where There’s Muck, There’s Brass
Finally, ATOME, the AIM-listed developer of low-carbon fertiliser, jumped 24% on Friday after securing $420 million in debt financing for its planned production plant in Villeta, Paraguay.
The 15-year financing package, agreed on 12 March during the Inter-American Development Bank Group’s annual meetings in Asunción, was provided by a consortium of five development finance institutions.
FALLERS
Jangada Mines said recent drilling at its Paranaita gold project in Brazil has reinforced expectations for the asset, with gold mineralisation intersected in all ten holes completed in the latest campaign.
The company said the results strengthen the case for developing a low-capex, open-pit operation at the site. Despite the positive update, the shares fell 15.5% to 1.775p.
Aura Energy said plans to bring strategic investors into its Haggan project and list the asset on the TSX Venture Exchange have been deferred. The delay follows the Swedish government launching an inquiry into the mining of alum shales, alongside weak market conditions that have complicated the proposed transaction.
Aura currently owns 100% of the Haggan project, which hosts uranium, vanadium and potash resources in Sweden. Shares in the company fell 14.8% to 5.75p following the update.
Meanwhile, Atlantic Lithium, which is developing lithium projects in West Africa, reported it held A$5.4 million in cash at the end of December 2025, slightly ahead of expectations. The company warned the balance could fall to around A$2 million by June 2026.
Ratification of the Ewoyaa mining lease is still pending, although the relevant parliamentary committee met at the end of February to consider the matter. The shares eased 7.82% to 15.025p.
