UK Markets Open Higher as FTSE 100 Eyes Extended Winning Streak
UK stocks opened higher after the Bank Holiday weekend, with the FTSE 100 rising 0.3% to 8,618.26 as it aims to extend its record-breaking run of gains. The blue-chip index, seen as a defensive haven amid concerns over Donald Trump’s tariff policies, has now advanced for 15 consecutive trading sessions — the longest streak in its history.
Meanwhile, the mid-cap FTSE 250 climbed 0.5% to 20,340.28.
The FTSE 100 has risen for 15 consecutive sessions—the longest winning streak since the index was launched in the 1980s.
The rally has seen the index fully recover all losses sustained since April 2, when Donald Trump announced a series of tariffs targeting key trading partners.
Richard Hunter, head of markets at interactive investor, attributes the FTSE 100’s recent gains to its appeal as a relatively stable and defensive investment option amid global uncertainty.
The FTSE100 remains something of a beacon of light compared to many of its global peers, with its suite of relatively stable and defensive sectors playing into investors’ desire for alternative investment destinations.
Coupled with an undemanding valuation both historically and globally, alongside an average dividend yield of 3.5%, the index has added 5.6% this year, and at the open further resilience was in evidence. A broad mark up incorporated both defensive and cyclical sectors, the latter of which resulted in some strength in the likes of the retailers and the housebuilders.”
