FTSE 100 rises as Shell, Unilever mask flat UK mid-caps; forecasts test rally
Britain’s FTSE 100 rose on Tuesday, but the cleaner trade was the split between global earners and the domestic tape. The blue-chip index was up 0.44% at 10,698.60 on delayed quotes, while the more UK-exposed FTSE 250 was up just 0.04% at 23,513.85. The London Stock Exchange was open for its normal Tuesday cash session, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. BST. That gap matters for investors. The headline FTSE move looked firm, but it leaned on oil, consumer staples and stock-specific upgrades rather than a broad UK demand trade. Trading Economics’ GB100 gauge, used as a FTSE 100 proxy, was near 10,698, about 2.2% below its February all-time high of 10,934.94, yet still above the forecaster’s end-Q3 and 12-month