The FTSE 100 opened 34.07 points lower at 10,566.30 on Monday, as continued US airstrikes against Iran and expanding Iranian retaliation across the Gulf region deepened risk-off sentiment. Brent crude futures surged 2.62% to $90.41 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) advanced 2.39% to $84.36 per barrel. Sterling edged lower to $1.3452 against the US dollar.
Gainers and Losers
On the upside, Computacenter led gains with a 3.49% rise to £4,740, followed by Entain (+1.61%), Auto Trader (+0.94%), BP (+0.81%), JD Sports Fashion (+0.76%), and Convatec Group (+0.74%). On the downside, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners fell 1.02%, Spirax Group slipped 1.15%, Unilever dropped 1.40%, Reckitt Benckiser eased 1.14%, Rio Tinto declined 0.83%, and Next edged 0.37% lower.
Political Shake-Up: Andy Burnham Poised to Become UK Prime Minister
Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and new Labour Party leader, is expected to succeed Keir Starmer as Britain’s seventh prime minister in the last decade. Burnham returned to Parliament last month after winning a special election and was sworn in on July 12, shortly after Starmer announced his resignation. Starmer will formally step down during a meeting with King Charles III.
Ryanair Profit Slumps on Fuel Costs
Ryanair reported a 36% slump in pre-tax profit to €593 million for the three months to June, as rising jet fuel prices driven by the Iran conflict took a toll. The airline noted that the cost of 20% of unhedged fuel more than doubled to $150 per barrel, pushing operating costs up 11% to €3.8 billion. Although traffic rose 6%, lower fares caused revenue to dip 1% to €4.3 billion.
Craneware Cyberattack Shakes Shares
Craneware shares fell as much as 8% after the healthcare software firm disclosed a cyberattack involving unauthorized access to a subset of its data environment. Employee data and a portion of customer and partner records were accessed and exfiltrated. Analysts at Panmure Liberum warned that consistency in breach reporting is critical to avoid regulatory penalties.
Big Yellow Group Invests in Automation
Big Yellow Group said it is increasing investment in automation and energy efficiency to reduce headcount and staff costs amid rising national insurance and minimum wage pressures. CEO Jim Gibson noted the move allows the company to avoid replacing certain leavers. Group revenue edged up 3% to £53.2 million, though the operating environment is expected to remain challenging until autumn.
Global Market Overview
US futures were mixed early Monday, with S&P 500 futures up 0.04% and Nasdaq-100 futures up 0.14%, while Dow futures dipped 59 points. Asian markets saw sharp declines: Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 4.03%, China’s Shanghai Composite dropped 0.85%, and South Korea’s Kospi slid 4.46%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng bucked the trend with a 2.25% gain. Indian indices Nifty 50 and Sensex declined 0.42% and 0.53%, respectively.
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