FX.co ★ FTSE 100 Starts Week Higher

The FTSE 100 advanced on Monday as it attempted to claw back losses from last week’s selloff, though overall sentiment stayed cautious. Mining stocks led the gains, with Endeavour, Fresnillo and Antofagasta rising about 3%, and Anglo American climbing more than 2.5%. Glencore and Rio Tinto also added over 1.5%, supported by higher gold, silver and copper prices. Among blue chips, AstraZeneca and Rolls-Royce gained around 1%, while energy giants Shell and BP came under pressure from weaker crude prices. Brent crude slipped 1.8% towards $96 a barrel, extending last week’s 16% decline as diplomatic efforts to defuse the US–Iran conflict continued. Gold, meanwhile, recovered after Friday’s losses, helped by easing inflation worries and a rebound in equity markets. On the economic front, a report from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and KPMG showed that UK employers cut hiring in October for the first time in four months, signalling softer labour market conditions.