FTSE 100 Moderately Lower As Bank, Mining Stocks Shed Ground

(RTTNews) - The UK stock market's benchmark index FTSE 100 fell on Friday, weighed down by losses in financial and mining sectors. Worries about the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East weighed as well on sentiment.

The FTSE 100, which dropped to 10,293.03, was down 59.89 points or 0.59% at 10,318.93 a little while ago.

Miners Endeavour Mining and Fresnillo lost 5.5% and 3.3%, respectively. Antofagasta drifted down nearly 2% and Glencore lost 1.25%, while Anglo American Plc slipped nearly 1%.

Natwest Group shed 4.2%. The lender's bottom line came in at GBP1.507 billion, or GBP0.178 per share. This compares with GBP1.478 billion, or GBP0.172 per share, last year. Revenue for the period rose 0.8% to GBP4.358 billion from GBP4.324 billion last year.

Lloyds Banking Group fell nearly 2% and Standard Chartered lost 1.4%, while Barclays dropped 0.7%.

Weir Group, Lion Finance, United Utilities, Severn Trent, AstraZeneca, Spirax Group, Rightmove, Next and IMI declined by 1.4%-3.7%.

Pearson gained 2.7%. DCC moved up 2.15%, while Metlen Energy & Metals, Unilever and Whitbread advanced by 1%-1.8%.

On the economic front, data published by Nationwide Building Society showed house prices in UK grew by more-than-expected 3% on a yearly basis in April despite Middle East uncertainty, following an increase of 2.2% in March. Prices were expected to rise again by 2.2%.

On a monthly basis, house prices climbed unexpectedly by 0.4% but slower than the previous month's 0.9% increase. Prices were forecast to drop 0.3%.

Data from S&P Global showed the S&P Global UK Manufacturing PMI climbed to 53.7 in April from 51 in the prior month, slightly above the preliminary estimate of 53.6. This marked the highest reading since May 2022.

Net mortgage approvals for house purchases in the UK rose to 63,531 in March 2026, up from a revised 62,708 in February and surpassing market expectations of 60,000, data from the Bank of England showed. This marked the highest level since November 2025, exceeding the six-month average of around 63,200.