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Oil stocks thrust London shares to positive 2023 start

Published by Uma Rajagopal

Posted on January 3, 2023

2 min read

· Last updated: February 2, 2026

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The London Stock Exchange, a key player in the UK financial market, reflects the surge in oil stocks that propelled the FTSE 100 to a seven-month high, highlighting the impact of energy sector performance on stock indices.
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By Shashwat Chauhan (Reuters) – UK’s exporter-heavy FTSE 100 jumped to a seven-month high on Tuesday as oil stocks rallied, with majors Shell and BP putting the broader energy sector on track for its biggest single day jump in six weeks. The blue chip FTSE 100 rose 2.2%, the more domestically-focussed FTSE 250 midcaps gained […]

By Shashwat Chauhan

(Reuters) – UK’s exporter-heavy FTSE 100 jumped to a seven-month high on Tuesday as oil stocks rallied, with majors Shell and BP putting the broader energy sector on track for its biggest single day jump in six weeks.

The blue chip FTSE 100 rose 2.2%, the more domestically-focussed FTSE 250 midcaps gained 2.0% to a more than three week high, while the energy sub index rose 4%.

The pan-European STOXX 600 continued Monday’s gains, up 1.8%.

“I could see it carrying on for today,” said Giles Coghlan, chief market analyst at HYCM, but warned that the stock rally was not likely to last longer term because a majority of fund managers were “really concerned about stagflation.”

2023 would be a tough year as the main engines of global growth – the United States, Europe and China – all experience weakening activity, the head of the International Monetary Fund said on Sunday.

Data on Tuesday showed China’s factory activity shrank at a sharper pace in December, while in the UK, manufacturers reported one of their sharpest falls in activity since the 2008-09 recession.

The resources heavy FTSE 100 outperformed its local peers last year, gaining 0.9% against a 12.9% drop in the STOXX 600, thanks to an early rally in metals and oil ending its second straight year in the green in 2022.

Cineworld slipped 8.1% after the British cinema operator said it would not sell any of its assets individually, and that it had not held discussions with AMC Entertainment about the sale of any of its theatres.

Rolls-Royce rose 6.1% after Jefferies raised the airplane engine maker to “buy” from “hold”.

(Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the FTSE 100?
The FTSE 100 is a stock market index that represents the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, based on market capitalization.
What is stagflation?
Stagflation is an economic condition characterized by slow economic growth, high unemployment, and high inflation, making it difficult for the economy to recover.
What is the STOXX 600?
The STOXX 600 is a stock index that includes 600 of the largest companies across 17 European countries, providing a broad representation of the European equity market.
What are oil stocks?
Oil stocks are shares of companies involved in the exploration, extraction, refining, and distribution of oil and gas products, often influenced by global oil prices.
What is a blue chip stock?
A blue chip stock refers to shares of large, well-established, and financially sound companies that have a history of reliable performance and stable earnings.

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