The FTSE 100 opened 101.11 points lower at 10,596.46 on Tuesday, as rising oil prices—driven by Saudi supply disruptions—and growing unease over the pace of artificial intelligence development dampened market sentiment. Brent crude futures fell 1.96% to USD 107.8 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) declined 1.98% to USD 103.4 per barrel.
Sterling was quoted at USD 1.3482 early Tuesday, just below USD 1.3581 at the London equities close on Monday. Versus the euro, the pound rose to EUR 1.1684 from EUR 1.1679.
Gainers & Losers
On the upside, Marks & Spencer Group climbed 1.38% to 375.90p. Kingfisher advanced 1.36% to 291.80p, while BAE Systems gained 0.80% to 1,955.50p. Babcock International Group rose 0.60% to 966.80p, Tesco added 0.48% to 483.20p, and GSK increased 0.46% to 1,863p.
On the downside, London Stock Exchange Group fell 2.38% to 8,272p. Rio Tinto declined 1.85% to 7,074p, while Lion Finance Group dropped 1.64% to 13,190p. Diploma slipped 1.06% to 6,990p, AstraZeneca lost 0.63% to 12,078p, and Games Workshop Group edged 0.57% lower to 17,500p.
Trustpilot Revenue Jumps
Trustpilot Group, the online consumer review platform, reported H1 bookings rose 22% to USD 171.2 million and revenue up 23% to USD 151.4 million, as Enterprise and US demand accelerated growth from the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA grew 46% to USD 26.3 million from USD 18 million, with the adjusted EBITDA margin expanding 2.8 percentage points to 17.4%. However, operating profit fell 18% to USD 4.4 million, weighed down by USD 6 million in non-recurring items, including an AGCM fine and a provision for historical US sales taxes.
Vacancies in the UK Declined
Vacancies in the UK fell to 702,000 in the three months to August 2026, marking a fall of 8,000, official figures suggest. “Payroll numbers continued to edge down, with falls over the past year particularly evident in the retail and hospitality sectors,” Liz McKeown, director of economic statistics at the ONS, said. “Vacancies remain at their lowest level outside the pandemic period for more than a decade, with smaller businesses continuing to report that increased labor costs are affecting hiring decisions.”
MJ Gleeson Cuts Dividend
MJ Gleeson has declined to a pre-tax loss as the housing market remains subdued, prompting the housebuilder to cut its dividend. The builder posted a GBP 2.7 million pre-tax loss in the year to June and cut its dividend from 11p to five pence per share. “Recognizing that this subdued market may not improve anytime soon, we are focused on managing the business as efficiently as possible and taking a prudent stance on cash,” the group told shareholders. However, the number of homes sold was up 9.8% to 1,968, as evidence that it is in a “much stronger position to manage through the challenging market environment” than in recent years.
Global Market View
In the US, the S&P 500 lost 0.5%, the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.6%, and the Dow Jones declined 0.3%, while the ten-year Treasury yield briefly touched 5% before settling around 4.98%. In Asia on Tuesday, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 declined 0.01% to 63,484.1, while China’s Shanghai Composite fell 0.54%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 0.94%, and South Korea’s Kospi dipped 0.85%. In India, both the Nifty 50 and the Sensex fell by 0.32% and 0.17%, respectively.