FTSE 100 LIVE: Stocks higher and gold at records as geopolitical uncertainty mounts

The FTSE 100 (^FTSE) and European stocks rose in early trade in London, while gold prices hit an all-time record as traders assess mounting geopolitical uncertainty.

Gold (GC=F) futures were trading 0.3% higher just after markets opened at $3,786. The price of the yellow metal is now up more than 45% so far this year. Spot gold prices have also risen about 1.1% today, reaching $3,754.

Gold typically gains during times of uncertainty, when investors are looking for safe places to store value. Geopolitical tensions have mounted this week as leaders of western powers such as the UK and France moved to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UN.

There are also concerns over the continuing Russia-Ukraine war as peace brokering efforts by president Donald Trump have fallen flat.

London's premier index rose 0.3%, led by B&Q owner Kingfisher (KGF.L), which gained around 19% in early trade after a positive set of results. The DAX (^GDAXI) in Germany rallied 0.4% while the CAC 40 (^FCHI) in Paris moved 0.6% into the green. The pan-European STOXX 600 (^STOXX) rose 0.3%. The pound was flat against the dollar (GBPUSD=X) after having lost about 1% over the past five sessions.

COMEX - Delayed Quote•USD

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3,787.50

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As of 3:43:56 AM EDT. Market Open. Advanced ChartLIVE3 updates

37 mins ago

Lucy Harley-McKeown

US stock futures hover after record-setting day

Our US team writes:

US stock futures wavered after another record-setting day on Wall Street.

Futures attached to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F), the benchmark S&P 500 (ES=F), and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) all fluttered around the baseline.

On Monday, stocks jumped, clinching their third straight day of record closes. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) led gains after Nvidia (NVDA) stock soared on news the company would invest roughly $100 billion in OpenAI. Oracle (ORCL) also rose once the White House confirmed the company's role in a TikTok deal, and Tesla (TSLA) secured a new 2025 closing high. 45 mins ago

Lucy Harley-McKeown

UK food inflation to remain at 5% 'well into 2026'

Pedro Goncalves writes:

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has issued a stark warning that food inflation will remain above 5% well into 2026 if the retail sector faces additional tax hikes in the upcoming autumn budget.

While the UK government has committed to reducing business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties, around 4,000 large shops may see their rates increase if they fall within the scope of a new business rates surtax targeting properties with a rateable value exceeding £500,000.

The BRC’s warning is compounded by fresh concerns over the cost of living, according to a new survey of 2,000 people conducted by Opinium for the organisation. The survey revealed that the primary concern for respondents in the year ahead was the issue of “prices rising faster than wages,” with 57% of respondents agreeing. The concern was even higher among working individuals, at 61%.

This outpaced concerns about tax increases (49%) and rising unemployment (26%).

The BRC said: "Food inflation will remain above 5% well into 2026 if the retail industry is hit by further tax rises at the autumn budget."

Read more on Yahoo Finance UK 47 mins ago

Lucy Harley-McKeown

Good morning!

Hi from London. We've had a relatively slow start to the week, but it starts ramping up again with UK, US and Eurozone PMI data later this morning.

B&Q owner Kingfisher (KGF.L) is set to report earnings — as is Tui (TUI1.DE).

Let's get to it.

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