FTSE Trades at Weekly Lows While The DAX Advances

FTSE 100 Trades at Over 1-Week Low

The FTSE 100 traded within a narrow range of less than 0.5% in either direction for a 10th consecutive session, slipping to a more than one-week low as investors remained cautious amid uncertainty over a potential Middle East peace deal. The US and Iran appeared to harden their positions in negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz, despite Pakistan’s defense minister saying the two sides were “close to some sort of arrangement.” Meanwhile, markets looked ahead to key US inflation data, which could influence expectations for the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate path. Oil majors Shell and BP fell 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively, while AstraZeneca, GSK and Unilever also declined. Burberry, Tesco and JD Sports dropped around 1.7% to 2%. On the upside, aerospace and defense companies BAE Systems and Babcock gained around 1.5% each, supported by continued strength in the sector.

DAX Advances to Fresh Highs

The DAX 40 edged up to around 26,430 on Wednesday, marking a fresh high and extending its winning run to five sessions. Traders monitored more corporate earnings and eyed geopolitical developments ahead of the release of a key US inflation report. Gains were largely driven by technology and industrial stocks, outweighing losses in consumer cyclicals, telecommunications companies, and automakers. Siemens Energy and Rheinmetall performed strongly, rising 3.9% and 2.4%, respectively. Chipmaker Infineon Technologies and AI-related Hochtief followed, up around 1.6% each. TKMS jumped over 11%, as investors welcomed the naval shipbuilder’s upgraded revenue forecast in the current fiscal year. On the downside, TUI dropped nearly 2% after Europe’s largest travel company missed Q3 operating profit expectations. Brenntag fell 1.6% despite reporting solid second-quarter performance, driven by higher chemical prices, and raised its full-year earnings outlook.

Register a Revolut Business Account