Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 31, 2026
3 min readLast updated: March 31, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleUK stock indexes are headed for their worst monthly drop since 2020 amid mounting Middle East tensions, despite a relief-led bounce on hopes for conflict de-escalation.
March 31 (Reuters) - British stocks rose on Tuesday after a report said the U.S. was looking to bring the Middle East conflict to an end, but the main indexes were set for their worst monthly showing since 2020 as investors worried about the fallout from the war.
Global equities bounced after the Wall Street Journal reported U.S. President Donald Trump told aides he would be willing to halt the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz stayed largely closed.
The blue-chip index FTSE 100 rose 0.6% by 1057 GMT but was set to snap an eight‑month winning streak, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 climbed 1.1%, looking to end a three‑month run of gains.
Most sub-indexes were in the green, except energy, which fell 0.3% after oil prices turned volatile as investors weighed the possibility that the five-week-long war could end. [O/R]
Precious metals miners rose 2.2% and provided the biggest boost to the index as gold prices climbed, with investors flocking to the safe haven amid inflation fears and expectations of a hawkish monetary policy response. [GOL/]
British shop price inflation ticked up to 1.2% in March, with the BRC warning that Middle East conflict-related cost pressures were starting to feed into supply chains and could push prices higher.
The Bank of England is closely monitoring food prices, as public inflation expectations rose to their highest level since 2023 in March, reinforcing caution over the policy outlook.
Data from mortgage lender Nationwide showed that British house prices rose by more than expected in March, but the housing market is likely to slow as an increase in borrowing costs, triggered by the Iran war, impacts affordability.
Raspberry Pi soared 26.8% after the single-board computer maker posted better-than-expected rise in annual adjusted core earnings.
Unilever rose 0.2% after the consumer goods firm said it was in advanced talks to combine its food business with spice maker McCormick in a potential deal that would deliver $15.7 billion in cash and give shareholders majority control of the merged entity.
(Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
UK indexes are declining due to investor concerns over the economic fallout from the ongoing Middle East conflict.
The conflict has introduced volatility, especially in the energy sector, and increased overall market uncertainty.
Precious metals miners outperformed as investors turned to gold as a safe haven during market turbulence.
Inflation fears rose due to supply chain pressures linked to the Middle East conflict, prompting caution from the Bank of England.
Nationwide reported a surprising rise in house prices, although rising borrowing costs could soon slow the market.
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