FX.co ★ FTSE 100 Trades Mostly Flat after Jobs, Corporate Updates

The FTSE 100 remained steady on Tuesday following two days of gains as investors assessed a mixture of corporate developments and economic indicators. Support was seen in AstraZeneca and mining stocks, while declines in HSBC, BP, and consumer-focused companies like British American Tobacco and Unilever weighed on the index. These declines were mainly influenced by concerns over China's economic outlook and declining commodity prices. Entain was the standout performer, surging over 6% after UBS upgraded the company's rating to "buy," highlighting unacknowledged operational progress and forecasting a potential recovery. Economically, UK data revealed an increase in the unemployment rate to 4.5%, the highest since 2021, coupled with a slowdown in wage growth. This fueled speculation that the Bank of England might consider interest rate cuts as signs of a weakening labor market emerge.