British stocks extended their rally on Friday, with the FTSE 100 climbing to another intraday record as miners provided the main upward momentum. The blue-chip index rose 0.4% to 10,887.88 and earlier touched 10,900. Currency markets reflected a political surprise in the U.K. as the pound weakened - GBP/USD fell 0.1% to 1.3473 as of 1156 GMT - following the Green Party's victory in a by-election in Gorton and Denton, a Manchester constituency long considered a Labour bastion.
Across continental Europe trading was mixed. Germany's DAX inched higher by 0.08%, while France's CAC 40 declined 0.1% during the same interval.
Market movers in London
Within the U.K. equity complex, company-specific news drove several notable share-price moves.
- Wizz Air Holdings - Shares in the budget carrier fell after investment funds managed by Indigo Partners LLC sold 10 million ordinary shares in an accelerated bookbuild. The secondary placing involved sales by Indigo Hungary LP and Indigo Maple Hill, L.P. at 1,250 pence per share, raising gross proceeds of approximately a3125 million.
- Senior PLC (LON:SNR) - The aerospace and automotive components maker saw its stock climb after the company confirmed it had received multiple takeover approaches. Senior PLC said it has received two superior all-cash proposals from potential offerors following discussions initiated by its board and that it has postponed a planned share buyback programme.
- Melrose Industries PLC (LON:MRON) - Shares in the aerospace and defence supplier slumped after the group issued 2026 profit guidance that was below analyst expectations, despite reporting a full-year earnings beat and delivering its first positive free cash flow in two years. Melrose guided for adjusted operating profit in 2026 of a3700 million to a3750 million, and its shares fell to their lowest levels in months.
- Hays - The recruiter saw its shares decline after reporting first-half earnings that matched market expectations but reflected a weaker performance year on year. On a like-for-like basis adjusted EBITA dropped 25% to a320 million, in line with the a320 million consensus cited by Jefferies. Adjusted EPS fell 43% to 0.46p, below analysts' expectations of 0.53p.
- Rathbones Group Plc - The wealth manager's shares rose more than 5% after it reported a 4.6% increase in underlying profit for 2025 and extended its share buyback programme by up to a320 million. Underlying profit before tax increased to a3238.1 million from a3227.6 million a year earlier, ahead of the company-compiled consensus of a3235.5 million. Statutory profit before tax rose 53.5% to a3152.9 million, helped by a reduction in integration costs to a339.9 million from a375.5 million in 2024.
- Rightmove Plc (LON:RMV) - Britain's largest property portal announced a a390 million share buyback after reporting full-year revenue that rose 9% to a3425.1 million in the year ended Dec. 31, 2025, from a3389.9 million a year earlier. That revenue result matched analyst expectations and sent the stock more than 5% higher following prior heavy selling since November. The company also noted a company-compiled consensus of a3213.3 million for the second half alone.
- Pearson Plc - Shares in the education group were little changed after full-year results came in line with forecasts. The company said it is positioning itself to capture artificial intelligence-driven demand for skills training, a strategy that left the market broadly unmoved.
- Just Group - The retirement-income specialist reported a decline in annual earnings, with underlying operating profit falling 39% to a3305 million for the year ended Dec. 31. Adjusted profit before tax dropped to a3120 million from a3482 million the prior year.
- International Airlines Group - The parent of British Airways delivered annual profit above expectations, helped by lower fuel costs and stronger transatlantic demand in premium cabins. The group's adjusted operating profit rose 3.5% to a35.02 billion, beating the a34.97 billion expected by analysts polled by LSEG, while revenue increased 3.5% year on year to a333.21 billion from a332.10 billion in 2024.
Strategic views and market context
UBS maintained a neutral stance on U.K. equities in a report by Matthew Gilman, CIO Equity Strategist, noting that the market's recent momentum in early 2026 has not been underpinned by broad fundamental improvement. UBS highlighted that U.K. shares have benefited from a sector rotation into more capital-intensive businesses, a shift driven in part by investor concern over artificial intelligence disruption.
The bank projected earnings growth of around 5% in 2026 and 15% in 2027. UBS added that an earnings improvement could arrive sooner than expected following recent rises in oil and copper prices, but cautioned that stronger growth in 2026 would likely temper growth in 2027.
Overall, Friday's session combined a renewed appetite for capital-intensive and mining-related stocks that pushed the FTSE 100 to fresh highs, with political developments and company-specific corporate actions and guidance producing divergent moves across individual London-listed names.