The pound fell and London equities opened on a firmer note on Tuesday after fresh U.K. labour market figures signalled a softer employment backdrop and a deceleration in wage growth.
At 08:11 GMT the FTSE 100 was up 0.3% from the previous close, while GBP/USD had lost ground, slipping 0.5% to trade at 1.3573 against the dollar. In continental Europe, Germany's DAX was marginally lower, down 0.06%, and France's CAC 40 had gained 0.2% in early trade.
UK labour market snapshot
Data published on Tuesday by the national statistics agency showed the U.K. unemployment rate increased to 5.2% in the three months to December, compared with 5.1% in the prior month. That reading marked the highest unemployment rate recorded since early 2021.
The unemployment uptick coincided with a slowdown in wage growth. Regular pay growth across the whole economy, excluding bonuses, slowed to an annual rate of 4.2% in the three months to December, down from 4.5% in the previous three-month period.
Together, the rise in unemployment and the cooling in pay growth point to further softening in the U.K. labour market - a development that could increase market attention on the Bank of England and its potential path for interest rates and future cuts.
Company results and corporate activity
Antofagasta PLC delivered a strong set of results for 2025, reporting record EBITDA driven by higher copper and by-product prices. The miner's revenue increased 30% to $8.62 billion, while EBITDA rose 52% to $5.20 billion. The company also reported an EBITDA margin expansion to 60.3% from 51.8% a year earlier.
Profit before tax for the year reached $3.16 billion, and earnings per share including exceptional items climbed to 134.8 cents from 84.1 cents in the prior year. Cash flow from operations increased 30% to $4.25 billion. The board proposed a final dividend of 48.0 cents per share, taking total dividends for the year to 64.6 cents per share, which represents a 50% payout of underlying earnings.
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC reported a 16% rise in adjusted earnings per share for 2025, with adjusted EPS reaching 501.3 cents compared with 432.4 cents a year earlier. The hotel group expanded its footprint, opening a record 443 hotels during the year.
Despite the positive headline numbers for IHG, the company disclosed weakness in its Americas segment. Revenue per available room in the Americas fell 2% in the fourth quarter, the steepest quarterly decline recorded by the company during the year, a development it attributed to softer U.S. government and international inbound travel.
IHG's board approved a new $950 million share buyback program for 2026, following the completion of a $900 million buyback in 2025. The board also proposed a final dividend of 125.9 cents per share, up 10%, bringing the full-year dividend to 184.5 cents.
Coca-Cola European Partners PLC posted a 31% increase in operating profit for 2025 and announced plans for a 1 billion share buyback program. The bottler's reported operating profit for the full year reached 2.79 billion, while comparable operating profit was 2.81 billion, representing a 5.4% increase on a comparable basis and 7.5% growth on a comparable and FX-neutral basis.
Full-year revenue rose 2.3% to 20.90 billion, with adjusted comparable FX-neutral revenue growth of 2.8%, according to the preliminary unaudited results released by the company.
Market context and implications
The combination of a higher unemployment rate and slowing wage gains adds to evidence of easing momentum in the U.K. labour market. For investors and market participants, these readings may influence expectations about the timing and scale of future monetary easing in the U.K.
At the company level, results from a major copper producer and large consumer goods and hospitality firms underlined sector divergence. Mining revenues and margins benefited from stronger metal prices, while parts of the hospitality sector saw a pullback in demand in specific regions.
Summary: U.K. unemployment rose to 5.2% and regular pay growth excluding bonuses slowed to 4.2% in the three months to December. The FTSE 100 opened modestly higher while the pound weakened against the dollar. Corporate updates showed record EBITDA at Antofagasta, stronger adjusted EPS at InterContinental Hotels Group alongside regional softness in the Americas, and a rise in operating profit plus a sizeable buyback plan at Coca-Cola European Partners.