S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico Market
The FTSE 100 pared early gains to close virtually flat at 10,601 on Friday, but staying near the highest in a month, driven by cautious optimism ahead of weekend US-Iran talks. Deep divisions remain, however, starting with the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, coupled with the inclusion of the Lebanon on the ceasefire agreement. Metals and mining stocks, along with retailers, provided the main support, while the aerospace and defense sector struggled. In equities, Convatec Group led the gains, rising 4.5%, followed by Endeavor Mining and Antofagasta, each rising over 3%. Kingfisher and Burberry Group also advanced solidly, up 2.7% and 2.1%, respectively. On the flip side, Metlen Energy & Metals plunged nearly 9% following weak annual results reported the previous day. Defense names like BAE Systems and Babcock International fell 3.3% and 1.7%, respectively. Compass Group lost 1.9% after a weak update from French rival Sodexo. For the week, the index rose 1.6%.
