Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
The FTSE 100 closed lower in dull trading on Monday, amid a gloomy view of the UK’s economic prospects for 2026.
The index closed at 9,865.97, down 31.45 points, 0.3%. The FTSE 250 rose 30.01 points, 0.1%, to close at 22,342.21, and Objective The All-Share closed up 3.09 points, 0.4%, at 760.48.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said private sector companies once again expect activity to decline over the next three months, extending negative predictions that began in late 2024.
Scope Markets analyst Joshua Mahoney commented: “European markets entered the final full week of 2025 largely bearish, with several short weeks before softening that are likely to see lower volume and less volatility.”
CBI’s Alpesh Paleja said: “Our latest surveys reveal a disappointing year for private sector growth. They mark a continuation of the headwinds that have affected businesses over the past 12 months: weak demand conditions, cautious spending by households; and strong cost pressures squeezing margins.
“Uncertainty ahead of the November Budget also put the brakes on major spending decisions and big projects, blocking work pipelines. The latest growth indicators show that this uncertainty has eased but has not led to a significant uptick in activity.”
The CBI report came as data showed the UK economy faced a growth slowdown in the third quarter of 2025.
Britain’s gross domestic product (GDP) was 0.1% higher quarter-on-quarter in the three months to September 30, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). gross domestic product There was a 0.2% increase in the second quarter, which was revised downwards from a previously reported 0.3% gain.
“In terms of output, growth in the latest quarter was driven by 0.2% growth in services and 0.2% growth in construction; the production sector declined by 0.3%,” the ONS said.
AJ Bell analyst Danny Hewson commented: “While the Bank of England expects growth to stall in the last few months of the year, thanks to the impact of the Budget on overall confidence, it is clear there will be major challenges to overcome if the UK growth story is going to become more compelling.”
In European shares on Monday, the CAC 40 in Paris closed down 0.4%, while the DAX 40 closed slightly lower.
At the close of the London Stock Exchange on Monday, the pound was worth US$1.3452, higher than Friday’s US$1.3373.
The euro stood at $1.1759, higher than $1.1715. Against the yen, the dollar was trading at 156.95 yen, down from 157.46.
Stocks were higher in New York at the close of the London equity markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.5%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were both 0.6% higher.
UBS thinks there is scope for further upside in US stocks.
The Swiss bank said, “We expect the S&P 500 to reach 7,300 by June next year and 7,700 by the end of 2026, driven by strong 10% projected earnings growth and looser Federal Reserve policy. In addition to the transformative power of AI, we believe the structural trends of electrification and longevity will also drive equity performance over the long term.”
The yield on US 10-year Treasuries was quoted at 4.17%, up from 4.14%. The yield on the US 30-year Treasury was raised to 4.83% from 4.82%.
Sleep The price of the yellow metal rose to $4,440.54 an ounce from Friday’s $4,348.80, setting another record high.
Endeavor Mining and Fresnillo led gold higher, rising 1.9% and 2.8% respectively to become the best performers in the FTSE 100. On the FTSE 250, Hochschild Mining rose 3.7%.
Harbor Energy fell 1.3% after announcing the US$3.2 billion acquisition of LLOG Exploration, which it said would improve cash flow and support a “competitive shareholder distribution.”
Jefferies Analyst mark wilson described the deal as a “strong positive”.
“In our view this is a game changer of a deal for Harbor Energy,” he said, adding that the acquisition is an “excellent strategic deal.”
Mr Wilson noted that the move brings strategic entry into the US and solid exploration exposure.
gambling firm rank group It fell 4.7% after it reported its Spanish branch had become the victim of payment fraud.
The owner of Grosvenor casino and Mecca Bingo said its Enracha and Yo businesses in Spain suffered payment fraud worth around 7.1 million euros.
Elsewhere, Enwell Energy fell 29% after it reported that its gas processing facilities at its Vasyshevskoye gas and condensate field in Ukraine were the subject of a Russian military drone attack last week.
At the time of closing of the London Stock Exchange on Monday, the price of Brent oil was $ 61.87 per barrel, which was $ 60.16 late on Friday evening.
Kathleen Brooks at XTB said oil prices rose after the US boarded a sanctioned oil tanker near Venezuela.
“The US has imposed an oil blockade on Venezuela to block the revenues that fund the Maduro government. When the oil blockade was announced last week, it boosted the price of oil and helped Brent crude rise above $60 after slipping below this key threshold due to concerns about excess supply.
“However, the concern is that Venezuela alone does not currently produce enough oil to propel the market for the long term and gains may be fleeting,” he added.
The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Fresnillo, up 90.00 pence at 3,260.00p, Airtel Africa, up 6.60p at 333.00p, Endeavor Mining, up 76.00p at 3,986.00p, Rio Tinto, up 93.00p at 5,931.00p, and Melrose Industries, up 5.40p at 582.00p.
The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were DCC, down 268.00p at 4,708.00p, Diageo, down 61.50p at 1,617.00p, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, down 160.00p at 6,820.00p, Pershing Square Holdings, WPP was down 98.00p at 4,800.00p and WPP, down 5.70p at 328.70p.
Tuesday’s economic calendar includes Reserve Bank of Australia meeting minutes, GDP data in Canada and flash quarterly personal consumption expenditure figures in the US.
There are no significant events scheduled in the UK corporate calendar for Tuesday.
– Contributed by Alliance News