FTSE 100 Opens Cautiously as Markets Await Trump’s Iran Deal Decision
The FTSE 100 opened cautiously on Tuesday as markets awaited a decision from President Trump over an Iran deal. The index gained 14 points in early London trades. Oil majors Shell and BP led the gains.
Early market movers
At 8.15am London time, the FTSE 100 stood near 10,450. Shell rose about 1.2% and BP climbed roughly 1.4%.
Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust topped the leaderboard. The move followed fresh details about SpaceX and a targeted $1.75 trillion initial public offering for the rocket company.
Company updates
Hunting flagged nearly $68 million of orders linked to a new offshore development in Guyana. Most of the work covers its titanium stress joint (TSJ) units for floating production and storage vessels.
WH Smith confirmed leadership changes. Leo Quinn became executive chair, while Andrew Harrison left the board to return as UK divisional chief executive.
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square announced a proposed takeover of Universal Music Group. The deal would offer €9.4 billion in cash and 0.77 shares of new stock per existing share.
Financial services survey
The CBI reported a strong rebound in UK financial services in the first quarter. Activity rose at the fastest pace since 1996.
Sentiment turned positive for the first time since mid-2024. Profitability also recovered after a long decline, the survey found.
Pressure on margins
Average spreads narrowed at the steepest rate since late 2024. Firms expect growth next quarter despite rising uncertainty.
Concerns about demand jumped following the Middle East conflict. The survey recorded the highest anxiety levels since 2012, the CBI said.
CBI deputy chief economist Alpesh Paleja said the sector is still digesting the conflict’s impact. The group urged the government to press ahead with financial services reforms.
Recommended priorities included cutting unnecessary regulation, accelerating Mansion House reforms, and increasing capital deployment via bodies such as the British Business Bank.
Global markets and energy
Futures signalled a slightly lower start to the week, down about 14 points for the FTSE. The index had rebounded roughly 464 points the previous week to 10,436.29.
US markets had been open on Monday while much of Europe observed an Easter holiday. The Nasdaq added about 0.5%, with the S&P 500 and Dow up roughly 0.4% each.
Asian indices were mixed. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.7%, while Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.2% and South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.6%.
Brent crude climbed above $111 per barrel after dipping to around $107 the prior day.
Political risks and market caution
Investor caution increased amid a new deadline set by President Trump for an Iran agreement. He warned of severe strikes if no deal arrives by 8pm Eastern Time.
Analysts noted the ultimatum raised uncertainty over oil flows and regional stability. Deutsche Bank macro strategist Jim Reid said sentiment had turned more cautious.
Reid highlighted that Mr. Trump publicly stated a deadline and sought terms acceptable to his administration. He also signalled that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was a priority, a shift from earlier comments.
This report was prepared for Filmogaz.com using market and company disclosures available on the morning of the session.
