FTSE 100 rose 0.5%
The FTSE 100 rose 0.54% on Wednesday to close at 10,572.2, bucking a sharp selloff across Asian and U.S. equity markets. The gain extended the index's weekly advance to 0.95% and left it up 6.45% since the start of the year, even as global risk appetite appeared to wane elsewhere.
The London benchmark remains well above both its 50-day moving average of 10,428.35 and its 200-day moving average of 10,144.93, technical levels that often signal medium-term momentum. It trades 3.1% below its 52-week high of 10,910.6 reached earlier this year and 17.57% above its 52-week low of 8,992.1. The one-month return stands at 0.61%, though the three-month figure shows a modest decline of 0.17%.
The session marked a striking divergence from global peers. In the United States, the S&P 500 fell 0.51%, the Nasdaq dropped 1.47%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%. European markets were mixed, with Germany's DAX down 0.34%, France's CAC 40 nearly flat at -0.05%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 up 0.29%. Asian markets suffered far deeper losses: Japan's Nikkei tumbled 4.03%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.99%, Shanghai's composite index dropped 3.03%, South Korea's KOSPI plunged 6.37%, and Taiwan's TAIEX sank 6.47%. Australia's ASX 200 declined 0.5%, while India's Sensex and Nifty 50 were rare bright spots, gaining 1.06% and 0.84% respectively.
Several headlines circulated that attempted to explain market movements, though their timing and sourcing varied. According to a headline from marketscreener.com, the FTSE 100 was "seen down after Asia selloff" an hour before the close. Share Talk reported 31 minutes before the close that the index was "Seen Lower as US-Iran Tensions Hit Asian Markets." These pre-market or intraday predictions proved inaccurate given the final positive close. Other headlines from prior sessions referenced Iran tensions, Chinese growth concerns, and mining stock weakness as factors weighing on U.K. equities, though none directly addressed Wednesday's upward move.
The evidence does not establish a clear driver for the FTSE 100's resilience on this session. With Asian markets recording some of their steepest declines in months and U.S. futures pointing lower, the London benchmark's advance appears to have decoupled from global sentiment, at least temporarily. What caused this divergence is not specified in the available information.
The numbers
- Level 10,572.20, +0.54% on the day (as of 2026-07-16)
- 1-week +0.95% · 1-month +0.61% · 3-month -0.17% · YTD +6.45%
- 52-week range 8,992.10 – 10,910.60, 3.1% below the high
- Trading above its 50-day average and above its 200-day average
Around the world (same session)
- S&P 500 -0.51%
- Nasdaq -1.47%
- Dow -0.20%
- DAX -0.34%
- CAC 40 -0.05%
- Euro Stoxx 50 +0.29%
- Nikkei -4.03%
- Hang Seng -1.99%
- Shanghai -3.03%
- KOSPI -6.37%
- TAIEX -6.47%
- ASX 200 -0.50%
- Sensex +1.06%
- Nifty 50 +0.84%
Recent headlines
- FTSE 100 seen down after Asia selloff — marketscreener.com (1h ago)
- The 4 Best FTSE 100 ETFs to Buy — Morningstar (21h ago)
- FTSE 100 dips as miners fall on weak China GDP; PayPal surges on takeover bid news. — Pluang (1d ago)
- FTSE 100 today: Stocks down as Iran tensions offset stronger UK GDP — Investing.com (22h ago)
- FTSE 100 Seen Lower as US-Iran Tensions Hit Asian Markets — Share Talk (31m ago)
- UK stocks are beating Wall Street — but the Iran war is putting the winning streak at risk — CNBC (84d ago)
- FTSE 100 index hits 10,000 milestone in new year rally — BBC (195d ago)
- FTSE 100 ends lower over fear of soft Chinese growth and weak mining stocks — Yahoo Finance UK (1d ago)
Sources
- FTSE 100 seen down after Asia selloff — marketscreener.com
- The 4 Best FTSE 100 ETFs to Buy — Morningstar
- FTSE 100 dips as miners fall on weak China GDP; PayPal surges on takeover bid news. — Pluang
- FTSE 100 today: Stocks down as Iran tensions offset stronger UK GDP — Investing.com
- FTSE 100 Seen Lower as US-Iran Tensions Hit Asian Markets — Share Talk
- UK stocks are beating Wall Street — but the Iran war is putting the winning streak at risk — CNBC
- FTSE 100 index hits 10,000 milestone in new year rally — BBC
- FTSE 100 ends lower over fear of soft Chinese growth and weak mining stocks — Yahoo Finance UK
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