Finance
FTSE 100 hits new high as HSBC raises earnings target, AI fears ease
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 25, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 25, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 25, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 25, 2026
FTSE 100 hit a record after HSBC raised a profitability target, boosting bank shares. AI disruption worries eased on Anthropic’s enterprise plug-ins. Miners advanced as metals rose; Diageo slid on a dividend cut, while Hiscox gained and Aston Martin announced job cuts.
By Tharuniyaa Lakshmi
Feb 25 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 touched a fresh peak on Wednesday after lender HSBC lifted a key earnings target, while easing concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence models on established businesses supported global sentiment.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index rose 1% to 10,787.30 points as of 1103 GMT after being largely unchanged over the past two sessions, while the domestically focused mid-cap FTSE 250 gained 0.4%.
Global risk appetite improved after U.S.-based AI startup Anthropic partnered with several companies and launched new AI plug-ins, signalling that traditional businesses are adapting to AI advances rather than facing immediate disruption.
HSBC climbed 5.8% after the bank lifted its target for a key profitability metric after its annual profit beat expectations.
"The bank has slimmed down to focus on fewer regions, and to pay greater attention to wealthier individuals. This strategy appears to be working as it reported a strong performance from its wealth division," said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
Precious metal miners and industrial metal miners rallied as copper and gold prices climbed against a softer dollar. [GOL/] [MET/L] Miners have been among the top drivers of the FTSE 100 over the past year following an unprecedented rally in commodity prices.
Among other shares, spirits maker Diageo fell 6.1% after new CEO Dave Lewis cut the annual forecast and dividend, underscoring the scale of the turnaround ahead.
Hiscox rose 6.2% to the top of the blue-chip index after the insurer announced a $300 million share buyback plan and reported a 5.9% rise in annual insurance contract written premium.
Aston Martin fell 1.8% after the luxury carmaker said it will cut its workforce by up to 20%, as it strives to recover from the impact of U.S. import tariffs and weak demand in China.
(Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)
The article covers the FTSE 100 hitting a record high, driven by HSBC raising a key profitability target and improved sentiment as fears over rapid AI disruption eased.
HSBC lifted a core profitability goal after annual results beat expectations, sending its shares higher and supporting broader gains across UK bank stocks.
Miners rallied on stronger copper and gold prices; Diageo fell after cutting its dividend and outlook; Hiscox gained on a $300m buyback; Aston Martin said it will cut up to 20% of its workforce.
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