Finance
FTSE 100 slides to two-week low as banks weigh
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 17, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 17, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
FTSE 100 fell to a two-week low as banking sector losses weighed heavily, reflecting global concerns over U.S. regional banks. Defensive sectors showed resilience.
(Reuters) -London's benchmark index hit a two-week low on Friday, weighed down by losses in heavyweight lenders that joined a global selloff in financial stocks on concerns over the health of U.S. regional banks.
The benchmark FTSE 100 ended down 0.9% at 9,353 points. Though off its session lows, the index still concluded its second consecutive week in the red.
The domestically focused FTSE 250 dropped 1% to 21,783, barely changed for the week.
The banks index shed 3.1%. HSBC, Barclays and Standard Chartered fell 3%, 5.4% and 3.2% respectively.
Concern about credit quality in U.S. regional banks rippled through markets on Friday, reviving memories of the crisis of confidence that shook sentiment just over two years ago.
Wall Street's losses were contained after U.S. President Donald Trump said his proposed 100% tariff on goods from China would not be sustainable, easing investor nerves after tensions flared between the two sides over Beijing's move to tighten control over rare earth exports.
Britain's economy returned to growth in August, data on Thursday showed. Separately, the International Monetary Fund this week said Britain's economy is on course for the second-fastest growth among the Group of Seven nations in 2025 after the United States.
Defensive sectors were among those in positive territory with personal goods, beverages, personal care, drug & grocery and utilities, reflecting the cautious mood among investors.
The aerospace and defense index dropped 3.5%, tracking losses in European counterparts.
Among other movers, precious metal miner Fresnillo slumped 11% as gold and platinum prices tumbled.
Pearson gained 2.5% to the top of FTSE 100 as the education company expects stronger sales growth in the fourth quarter.
Man Group gained 6.3% after the hedge fund's growth in assets under management surpassed expectations.
(Reporting by Medha Singh and Avinash P in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed and Timothy Heritage)
The FTSE 100 is a stock market index that represents the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, based on market capitalization.
A financial selloff occurs when a large number of investors sell their assets, typically leading to a decline in market prices, often due to negative news or economic concerns.
Heavyweight lenders are large, influential banks or financial institutions that play a significant role in the financial markets and economy.
Credit quality refers to the assessment of a borrower's ability to repay debts, often evaluated through credit ratings and financial metrics.
The FTSE 250 is a stock market index that includes the 250 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, excluding the FTSE 100 companies.
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