The FTSE 100 opened 79 points higher on Tuesday, climbing to almost 10,546 in early trading on 26 May 2026 as UK investors caught up with gains seen elsewhere.
The move came as markets took comfort from seeming progress in US-Iran negotiations, helping push the blue-chip index sharply higher at the start of the session. Kingfisher led the early risers, gaining 6% after what traders viewed as a relatively robust first-quarter update. Endeavour Mining added 5.1%, while British Airways owner IAG rose 3%. Glencore, Rio Tinto and Rolls-Royce were also sitting just below the strongest early risers, showing how broadly the bid spread across the index.
Not every name joined the rally. Melrose fell 4.5% after the Orange County incident, a reminder that the morning’s tone was being shaped stock by stock as well as by the wider market mood.
The advance also underlined how quickly UK shares were moving to catch up with gains in other markets once the tone improved. For investors watching the Ftse 100 Index rises as UK growth data eases market nerves, the day’s trade added another example of sentiment turning on a mix of geopolitics, company updates and plain relief after a cautious stretch.
Published at 07:15 26 May 2026 BST and last updated at 08:15 26 May 2026 BST, the session opened with buyers in control. Whether the rally lasts will depend on whether the talk on Iran keeps edging forward and whether the biggest companies in the index can keep delivering the kind of updates that move the market.
