FTSE 100 FINISH LINE 26/1/26
FTSE 100 FINISH LINE 26/1/26
London's stock market kicked off the week on a quiet note this Monday, as gains in metal mining stocks helped balance out losses in industrial sectors. The FTSE 100 blue-chip index and the mid-cap FTSE 250 index saw little movement; the blue-chip benchmark advanced 0.2% heading into the close. Industrial stocks took the biggest hit, sliding 1.4%, while travel and leisure shares dipped over 1%, weighed down by geopolitical concerns and rising oil prices. This cautious sentiment follows last week's turbulence, which was sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprising tariff threats tied to Greenland, targeting Britain and other European nations. Although the threat has since been retracted, investors remain wary about the potential long-term impact on global trade if tariffs become a common negotiation tactic. Adding to the unease are fresh U.S. sanctions on Iran, which have further fuelled market uncertainty. On the economic front, Britain’s economy is showing signs of recovery after months of uncertainty. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves’ budget statement in November appears to have boosted confidence among businesses and households alike. Investors are also keeping an eye on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy meeting later this week. While the central bank is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged, questions surrounding its independence are likely to dominate discussions.
On a brighter note, precious metal miners soared to record highs with a 3.6% gain, while industrial metal miners rose by 0.9%, driven by optimism surrounding the broader commodities market and surging prices for precious metals. Financial stocks also saw some positive momentum, with banks and life insurers climbing 0.6% and 0.8%, respectively. Big names like HSBC and NatWest are expected to follow in the footsteps of their European counterparts by raising key profit targets in their upcoming annual earnings reports, according to insiders. In company-specific news, Spire Healthcare saw its shares surge by an impressive 16% after revealing it is in preliminary talks with several buyout firms, including Bridgepoint and Triton Partners, to explore strategic opportunities. Meanwhile, Bridgepoint’s own shares slipped 2.5%.
Shares of infrastructure solutions company Costain increased by 8.6% to 175.2 p, marking the highest level since February 2020. The firm announced that its adjusted operating profit for FY25 aligns with market expectations at 46.4 million pounds ($63.43 million) according to consensus estimates. Additionally, it plans a 20 million pounds share buyback programme for FY26. Analysts from Peel Hunt expressed, "We anticipate that investors will appreciate the profit, cash, and proposed returns to shareholders." The company expects its revenue in H2 to be comparable to the H1 revenue of 525 million pounds. The stock saw a 51% rise in 2025.
TECHNICAL & TRADE VIEW - FTSE100
Daily VWAP Bullish
Weekly VWAP Bullish
Above 10150 Target 10300
Below 10070 Target 9950
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Patrick has been involved in the financial markets for well over a decade as a self-educated professional trader and money manager. Flitting between the roles of market commentator, analyst and mentor, Patrick has improved the technical skills and psychological stance of literally hundreds of traders – coaching them to become savvy market operators!