The U.K. stock market ended the day on a positive note, with the FTSE 100 Index increasing by 0.34% to reach a level of 7,515.38.
Top Gainers
Among the constituents of the FTSE 100, BT Group PLC, a wired telecommunications services company, experienced the highest increase today. The shares of BT Group rose by 4.91%.
Following closely behind, International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A., a passenger airlines firm, saw its shares rise by 3.92%. Similarly, Croda International PLC, a chemicals company, witnessed an increase of 3.76% in its share price.
abrdn PLC, an investment advisors company, and Prudential PLC, a life insurance company, rounded out the top five gainers today with their stocks climbing by 3.64% and 3.59%, respectively.
Top Losers
British American Tobacco PLC, a renowned company, experienced the largest decline among the constituents of the FTSE 100. The shares of British American Tobacco dropped by 8.36% today.
In addition, Shell PLC, a major oil & natural gas company, and Diageo PLC, a company in the same industry, saw their shares decrease by 1.43% and 1.35%, respectively.
BAE Systems PLC, a defense equipment/products company, and BP PLC, a major oil & natural gas company, were also among the top five decliners today. Their stocks shed 1.29% and 1.26%, respectively.
Currency and Commodity Update
The pound weakened slightly against the dollar by 0.07%, trading at $1.2588. It remained relatively stable against the euro at €1.1666.
Brent crude dropped significantly by 3.5% to reach $74.51. Furthermore, the yield on the 10-year gilt fell by 9.360 basis points to 3.943%.
