The FTSE 100 traded 0.5% higher on Monday, recovering from a 0.8% loss in the previous week, as risk appetite returned amid easing global trade tensions. Financials and commodity-linked stocks led the advance, while defensive sectors such as utilities and consumer staples lagged. Among banks, HSBC gained over 1.5%, and Barclays, Lloyds, and NatWest each climbed more than 1%, supported by improving market sentiment. Defence stocks also lifted the index after a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East reignited focus on the sector: Babcock and Rolls-Royce rose more than 2.5%, and BAE Systems advanced 1.7%. However, the rally was capped by a sharp selloff in B&M, whose shares tumbled over 15% to a record low after it cut guidance for the second time this month, citing cost overruns and the resignation of its finance chief. The company’s new CEO also admitted that execution had been weak, weighing on investor confidence.
