UK stock market today: FTSE 100 pares early slump as oil shock hits London shares
FTSE 100 closed down 0.3% and FTSE 250 fell 1.6% after Brent crude surged over 25% to $119.50 a barrel amid the U.S.-Iran war. UK gilt yields jumped as traders shifted bets toward a possible Bank of England rate hike. Sterling weakened, while energy stocks like Shell and BP rose. Homebuilders and property shares led declines, with Persimmon down 5.5%.