FTSE 100 Opens Higher as Banks Rebound and Trade Hopes Lift Mood
The FTSE 100 opened 0.5% higher at 9,396.84, driven by a rebound in banking stocks and optimism over US-China trade talks.
- Financial stocks led the gains, with HSBC up 1.7%, Standard Chartered rising 2.1%, Lloyds adding 1.4%, and Barclays climbing 1.5%.
- Defence shares also attracted attention, with Babcock jumping 2.9%, BAE Systems gaining 1.5%, and Rolls-Royce adding 2.8%.
- European defence names followed suit, including Rheinmetall, Leonardo, and Safran, rising 4.4%, 3.2%, and 2.1% respectively.
Investor sentiment was buoyed by reports of another round of US-China trade talks, easing concerns over another round of tit-for-tat tariffs.
US and China will hold another round of trade talks this week
Author summary: FTSE 100 opens higher on banking rebound and trade optimism.
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Investomania — 2025-10-20