Finance

FTSE 100 hits one-week high on banks, mining boost

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on February 26, 2025

2 min read

· Last updated: January 25, 2026

Add as preferred source on Google
FTSE 100 hits one-week high on banks, mining boost
Global Banking & Finance Awards 2026 — Call for Entries

(Reuters) - UK's benchmark stock indexes rose on Wednesday, swept up in a global risk-off move, with gains in banks and mining stocks pushing the blue-chip FTSE 100 to an over one-week high. The blue-

FTSE 100 Climbs to Weekly High with Bank and Mining Surge

(Reuters) -Britain's FTSE 100 touched one-week highs on Wednesday, led by gains in banks and mining stocks, while luxury retailer Burberry boosted the midcap index following a rating upgrade.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 rose 0.7% to its highest since February 19.

Banks were the biggest boost to the index, with mortgage lender Lloyds gaining 4.6% after at least two brokerages raised their price target on the stock.

Metro Bank rose 4.3% after the lender said it had signed an agreement to sell a portfolio of about 584 million pounds ($739 million) of unsecured personal loans.

UK-listed miners advanced, tracking copper prices, after U.S. President Donald Trump moved closer to imposing tariffs on copper imports, while a power outage in top producer Chile also supported the wider market. [MET/L]

Glencore gained 2%, Anglo American rose 3.5% and Antofagasta was up 3.6%.

ConvaTec Group gained 4.9% after the medical equipment maker reported higher annual profit.

Global stocks rebounded, with European shares touching a record high, after reports that the U.S. and Ukraine agreed on terms of a draft minerals deal.

Investors are awaiting artificial intelligence chip bellwether Nvidia's results later in the day to see if sky-high valuations in the technology sector are justified.

The midcap FTSE 250 also gained 0.7%.

Burberry rose 7.8% after brokerage Kepler Cheuvreux raised the luxury retailer's rating to "buy" from "hold" and said it expects a slow recovery for the sector in the second half of the year.

Pets at Home surged 7.7% to a three-month high on takeover speculation.

On the flip side, Aston Martin plunged 12% after the luxury automaker announced a second delay in launching its first battery electric vehicle and said it plans to reduce its global workforce by 5%.

(Reporting by Sanchayaita Roy and Ragini Mathur in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Richard Chang)

Key Takeaways

  • FTSE 100 rose 0.7% led by banks and mining stocks.
  • Lloyds and Metro Bank saw significant gains.
  • UK miners advanced with rising copper prices.
  • Burberry's rating upgrade boosted midcap index.
  • Aston Martin faced setbacks with electric vehicle delays.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main topic?
The article discusses the FTSE 100 reaching a one-week high driven by gains in banks and mining stocks.
What companies were highlighted?
Lloyds, Metro Bank, Glencore, Anglo American, Antofagasta, and Burberry were highlighted.
Why did Aston Martin's stock fall?
Aston Martin's stock fell due to delays in launching its first battery electric vehicle and workforce reductions.

Tags

Related Articles

More from Finance

Explore more articles in the Finance category