London FTSE 100 nudges higher as Asian banking worries weigh on market

The FTSE 100 rose modestly on Thursday, gaining about 0.3% to finish at 10,360.32 as investors bought broadly despite pressure on oil majors and Asian‑focused financials. Brent crude slipped to $94.88 a barrel, pulling down BP and Shell, while HSBC, Standard Chartered and Prudential fell after reports that mainland Chinese residents face tighter restrictions on opening offshore accounts at Hong Kong banks.

Defensive and AI‑related stocks provided support, with Relx up 6%, London Stock Exchange Group up 5.3% and Auto Trader up 3.4%. The index’s modest gain was echoed in a later update that recorded a 0.07% rise to 10,368.05, highlighting sector polarization across the market and continued institutional flow into large‑cap UK equities.