FTSE 100 Advances To New High; Miners Move Higher

The UK stock market’s FTSE 100 is up firmly in positive territory Friday morning, led by gains in the mining sector. Investors are also reacting to a slew of earnings news and other corporate announcements. Data showing an unexpected drop in consumer confidence is limiting market’s upside.

The benchmark FTSE 100, which advanced to 10,914.18, a new record high, was up 43.34 points or 0.4% at 10,890.04 a few minutes ago.

RightMove, up 4.2%, tops the list of gainers in the FTSE 100 index. The stock is up after reporting higher revenue and launching a buyback

Airtel Africa is rising 3.25% and Fresnillo is up nearly 3%. Howden Joinery Group and Endeavour Mining are up 2.5% and 2.3%, respectively.

Anglo American Plc, Antofagasta, Rio Tinto, Glencore, LSEG, BT Group, AstraZeneca, Diageo, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Experian, Relx and Halma are up 1%-1.8%.

GKN Aerospace owner Melrose is down 13% after it forecast 2026 revenue below expectations.

IAG is down more than 5%. The stock moved up sharply earlier in the session after the company issued a positive outlook and announced a 1.5 billion euro repurchase plan.

Burberry Group, Vodafone Group, Entain, EasyJet, ICG, The Sage Group, Barclays, JD Sports Fashion, Hiscox, Intercontinental Hotels Group and Croda International are down 1%-2.5%.

Recruiter Hays is down 10% after reporting a sharp decline in first-half earnings.

In economic news, the U.K. consumer confidence index fell to a three-month low or -19 in February, from -16 in January, the Consumer Confidence Barometer survey by the GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) revealed. Economists had expected a mild increase to -15.

“Unemployment has now reached its highest level in nearly five years, and this is increasing concerns about job security, particularly given the backdrop of weak wage growth,” GfK Consumer Insights Director Neil Bellamy said. “With fewer entry-level opportunities available, those on lower incomes are already feeling the strain, and this trend risks undermining the typically more optimistic outlook held by younger age groups.”

The British pound fell to its lowest level against the euro in more than two months amid political jitters after the Green Party won a special election in England.