The FTSE 100 traded higher on Monday, following a 3.9% gain in October, supported by gains in financial and energy stocks. Standard Chartered rose over 2%, Prudential nearly 2%, and Legal & General 1.6% ahead of the Bank of England’s policy decision on Thursday, where most economists expect rates to remain unchanged. Energy shares also advanced as crude prices climbed after OPEC+ decided to pause planned output increases. Shell gained nearly 1%, while BP rose more than 1% after agreeing to sell stakes in two US onshore assets to private investor Sixth Street for $1.5 billion, part of its strategy to divest $20 billion by 2027. BP will retain operational control through its US unit, BPX Energy, though its stakes in the Permian and Eagle Ford midstream assets will be reduced. Meanwhile, mining stocks lagged, with Antofagasta, Rio Tinto, Glencore, and Anglo American down between 0.7% and 1.3% after disappointing economic data from China dampened sentiment.
