UK stocks moved in a tight band Tuesday morning with investors making cautious moves while looking ahead to the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy announcement on Wednesday, and the post meet conference by Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
The Fed is widely expected to lower interest rate by 25 basis points. The accompanying statement is eyed for clues about the central bank’s possible future moves with regard to rates.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was down 8.89 points or 0.09% at 9,653.95 about a quarter before noon.
WPP gained 4.7% and The Sage Group climbed 3.2%, while Babcock International, Metlen Energy & Metals, BAE Systems, Entain and Fresnillo gained 2 to 3%.
M&G, Pearson, Sainsbury (J), Airtel Africa, Relx, Vodafone Group, Persimmon, AstraZeneca and Admiral Group also posted solid gains.
British American Tobacco shed about 2.8%. The cigarette maker said it expects 2026 trading to come in at the lower end of its mid-term targets.
JD Sports Fashion drifted down 2.3%. Tesco, Antofagasta, EasyJet, IAG, Ashtead Group, Croda International, The Magnum Ice Cream, Pershing Square Holdings and Glencore lost 1 to 1.6%.
Market Analysis
UK Stocks Move In Tight Range; FTSE Down Slightly
2025-12-09 11:47:12
