marketsClosed Jun 20, 2025
- The FTSE 100 joins a global equity rally, though is underpeforming European peers as weaker oil prices weigh on BP and Shell. The pound pared an early gain after May retail sales fell more than expected.
- The Markets Today team — Morwenna Coniam and Isabella Ward — for news and analysis vital to UK markets. Email us at marketstoday@bloomberg.net
After rising this morning, the FTSE 100 ended the day in the red, as it rounds off its
worst week
since April.
worst week
since April.
Still, Unite made a late gain after Goldman Sachs analysts said the British student accommodation provider was set to benefit from Trump’s attempts to curb immigration, which are deterring international students away from the US.
But the FTSE 250, while having slightly pared its earlier advances, ended the day higher and little changed on the week.
That’s despite this morning’s worse-than-expected drop in retail sales, with volumes falling the most since 2023. In better news for the Treasury, the UK budget deficit came in smaller than estimated in May. Other data painted a mixed picture of Britons’ personal perceptions of the economy and their finances.
The pound outperformed most of its G-10 peers, though sits around flat now, hovering around the midpoint between $1.34 and $1.35. Gilt yields ended the day broadly little changed.
That’s all from us at Markets Today for now. Join us again here next week for those company results, plus everything else that matters to UK markets.
Have a great weekend.
