Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 16, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 19, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleFTSE 100 ended the week with gains, driven by strong financial earnings and resource-linked shares, despite a slight dip on Friday.
Jan 16 (Reuters) - London's benchmark stock index was largely unchanged on Friday after a record close the previous day, but it notched up a weekly gain thanks to strong earnings for financials, upbeat data, and strength in resource-linked shares.
The blue‑chip FTSE 100 slipped 0.04% to 10,235.29 points, while ending the week with a 0.1% rise. The domestically focused mid‑cap index added 0.13%, closing at a five‑week high, and was up 1.2% for the week.
On Friday, London-listed miners led losses, with Glencore and Rio Tinto down 2.5% and 1.8%, respectively, pressured by concerns over weakening demand for copper from top consumer China. [MET/L]
The index of precious metal miners was down 1.2%, with Endeavour mining down 2.6%, becoming one of the top losers on the blue-chip index.
Nevertheless, resource-linked stocks were among the biggest contributors to the week's rally, as geopolitical uncertainty boosted demand for gold, while supply concerns supported copper and other metals earlier in the week.
An index for investment banking and brokerage services rallied 5.3% this week, powered by strong earning updates from money managers such as Ashmore Group and Schroders.
Meanwhile, stronger growth in the British economy also improved investor confidence this week, underscoring the economy's resilience despite previous concern over the impact of Finance Minister Rachel Reeves' budget plans.
Defence stocks bucked the trend on Friday amid renewed instability around the Russia‑Ukraine conflict after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared a state of emergency and Britain pledged £20 million in energy aid to Ukraine.
Britain's aerospace and defence index jumped 1.25%, with BAE Systems climbing 1.4% and Babcock international group up 1%.
(Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore and Hugh Lawson)
The FTSE 100 is a stock market index that represents the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, based on market capitalization.
Mining stocks are shares in companies that are involved in the extraction of minerals and resources, such as metals and coal, which can be affected by commodity prices.
The defense sector includes companies that manufacture weapons, military equipment, and provide services related to national security and defense.
Economic data refers to statistics that provide information about the economic performance of a country, including GDP, employment rates, and inflation.
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