On Friday, the FTSE 100 experienced a 0.2% increase, primarily driven by defensive sectors such as utilities, healthcare, and consumer staples. Nevertheless, Travis Perkins, a leading supplier of building materials, saw a significant decline of nearly 7% due to a profit warning. The overall weekly gain of 1% in the index was attributed to mining stocks, marking its strongest performance since April and breaking a three-week losing streak. Although industrial metal miners faced a 1.3% decline on that day, the construction and materials sector emerged as the top gainer for the week, rising by 1.8%. Investors are now shifting their focus to domestic inflation data and the possibility of a 25-basis-point interest rate hike by the Bank of England in the upcoming week. The central bank’s handling of inflation is closely monitored as it grapples with elevated inflation levels.
FTSE 100
