LONDON, August 1, 2026, 10:44 BST — The market ended the week with trading closed for the weekend.
- The FTSE 100 ended the week at 10,868.05, up 1.23%. The FTSE 250 advanced 0.73%.
- Out of the blue-chip index’s 131.82 net weekly points, 126.66 were added on Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Key earnings from the energy, banking, mining, retail, and consumer sectors are scheduled for next week.
Nearly all of the FTSE 100’s net weekly point increase came from Tuesday and Wednesday, which together accounted for 96% of the total movement.
The index advanced by 1.23% to reach 10,868.05. The FTSE 250 climbed 0.73%, resulting in a difference of 0.50 percentage points.
The gap serves as a signal to investors, indicating selective trading in large-cap stocks rather than suggesting a broad rerating of the UK market.
On Wednesday, the FTSE 100 had gained 1.60% compared to the previous Friday. Losses on Thursday and Friday cut back 0.37% of those gains.
| Benchmark | July 24 close | July 31 close | Weekly change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTSE 100 | 10,736.23 | 10,868.05 | up 1.23% |
| FTSE 250 | 23,801.49 | 23,975.02 | up 0.73% |
| FTSE 100 lead | — | — | 0.50 percentage point |
The daily trajectory illustrates how focused the rally grew. Closing numbers reflect final values, and the last column highlights each session’s primary catalyst.
| Session | FTSE 100 close | Daily move | Dominant signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, July 27 | 10,781.75 | +0.42% | Oil prices slipped; appetite for travel and risk climbed |
| Tuesday, July 28 | 10,871.02 | +0.83% | Strong consumer earnings help offset weakness in banks and energy sectors |
| Wednesday, July 29 | 10,908.41 | +0.34% | Energy sector climbed 2.9% as oil advanced almost 7% |
| Thursday, July 30 | 10,897.27 | −0.10% | Bank of England unchanged; results were highly mixed |
| Friday, July 31 | 10,868.05 | −0.27% | Record peak slipped; energy still finished up 1.9% |
The index set a fresh intraday high of 10,989.45 on Friday, before ending the session 121.40 points under its top. Energy stocks gained 1.9% as Brent held above $90.
Shares of Unilever LON:ULVR jumped 8.58% on Tuesday, marking its best single-day performance in four years. The company’s underlying sales rose 5.8% in the second quarter, driven by a 5.5% increase in volumes. Unilever raised its 2026 underlying sales growth outlook to a range of 4%-6%.
Shares of Rolls-Royce Holdings LON:RR climbed 6% on Thursday as the company raised its annual forecast. The firm now projects underlying operating profit between £4.7 billion and £4.9 billion. Underlying profit for the first half grew by 46%, with the margin at 22.5%.
NatWest Group LON:NWG rose 3.22% on Friday following its results. Operating profit before tax for the first half came in at £4.3 billion, ahead of forecasts. CEO Paul Thwaite stated the performance provided NatWest “confidence to strengthen our guidance for 2026.” Reuters
Rentokil Initial LON:RTO shares dropped 20.6% on Thursday following the company’s warning about weakness in its North American business.
The contrast highlights investors’ clear distinction between upgrades and performance shortfalls. Closing prices on Friday are listed in pence.
| Company | Event-day move | Friday close | Main result signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unilever LON:ULVR | +8.58% Tuesday | 4,743.0p | 2026 sales growth forecast raised |
| Rolls-Royce Holdings LON:RR | +6.0% Thursday | 1,467.8p | Outlook for operating profit increased |
| NatWest Group LON:NWG | +3.22% Friday | 705.8p | Forecast improved; 12.0p interim payout |
| Rentokil Initial LON:RTO | −20.6% Thursday | 344.8p | Weakness in North America highlighted |
The Bank of England voted 6-3 to keep Bank Rate unchanged at 3.75%. Three committee members supported raising it to 4%. Consumer price inflation for June was 2.6%, and policymakers anticipate inflation will climb again later in the year.
Rob Wood, an economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, drew a clear connection between oil and interest rates. “The rate outlook depends very heavily on the oil shock,” he said. Reuters
The FTSE 250 posted its third weekly advance in a row. The modest increase, however, means the domestic breadth test remains inconclusive.
Several direct tests are set in scheduled results for next week.
| Date | Company | Scheduled release | Investor test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, August 4 | BP LON:BP | Half-year results | Performance of energy earnings, company outlook |
| Tuesday, August 4 | HSBC Holdings LON:HSBA | Half-year results | Focus on bank margins, credit levels and capital returns |
| Wednesday, August 5 | Glencore LON:GLEN | Half-year results | Mining sector results, cash flow |
| Wednesday, August 5 | Next LON:NXT | Trading statement | Trends in UK consumer spending |
| Thursday, August 6 | Diageo (LON:DGE) | Full-year results | Worldwide consumer demand, price trends |
BP, HSBC and Glencore are set to challenge the leading global sectors from last week. Next and Diageo provide a more direct gauge of overall market breadth.
Risks: An extended energy shock may push inflation higher and maintain restrictive policy. A stronger sterling could further diminish overseas-derived profits for FTSE-listed firms.
