The FTSE 100 closed higher at 10,176.45, up 48.49 points (+0.48%), extending the positive momentum seen across broader UK benchmarks. Gains were broad-based, with the FTSE 250 rising 1.19%, while the FTSE All-Share added 0.55%, reflecting a constructive tone in London equities.
Despite the benchmark’s advance, the session’s drag came from heavyweight consumer and defensive names. Unilever (ULVR) was the biggest laggard among the FTSE 100 fallers, sliding 7.28%, followed by IMI (IMI) (-2.39%), Croda International (CRDA) (-1.85%), and Diageo (DGE) (-1.62%). Weakness in staples and industrial counters limited upside even as the broader index stayed in positive territory.
Other notable losers included Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) (-1.58%), Convatec (CTEC) (-1.37%), Imperial Brands (IMB) (-1.29%), and Smith & Nephew (SN.) (-1.29%), highlighting profit-booking in defensive sectors after recent gains.
The resilience of the headline index despite sharp losses in blue-chip consumer stocks suggests that financials, miners, and select cyclicals likely provided the balancing support, allowing the FTSE 100 to remain in green territory. The divergence between the positive index close and weakness in defensive names points to sector rotation rather than broad-based risk-off sentiment.
