London stocks rebound as hopes of US-Iran talks lift sentiment

• Banks and mining stocks led gains, with precious metal miners up 2.6% tracking higher gold and silver prices, while industrial metal miners added 1.5% as copper hit a one-month high
• Travel and leisure stocks rose 1.8% on lower oil prices, with EasyJet up 2.5% and Wizz Air surging 7.5%, while energy stocks like Shell and BP fell more than 0.5%
• Imperial Brands plummeted over 7% to a nine-month low after cutting its full-year forecast due to Middle East conflicts, while Intertek surged 11.8% on potential business split plans

London Stocks Rebound on US-Iran Diplomatic Hopes

UK equity markets posted gains on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, as optimism surrounding potential US-Iran negotiations offset concerns over ongoing Middle East tensions and a US blockade of Iranian ports.

Market Performance:

The blue-chip FTSE 100 rose 0.1% to 10,593.65 points by 5:58 GMT, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 gained 1.13%. The rally followed reports that US and Iranian negotiators may resume talks in Islamabad later this week.

Sector Movements:

• Banking: Major banks added 0.4%, with NatWest Group and Standard Chartered climbing over 1%
• Mining: Precious metal miners surged 2.6%, tracking gains in gold and silver prices. Fresnillo rose 3.5% and Hochschild Mining gained 2.6%. Industrial metal miners advanced 1.5%, supported by copper reaching one-month highs, lifting Rio Tinto (+0.7%) and Glencore (+1.7%)
• Travel & Leisure: Sector jumped 1.8% as oil prices fell below $100 per barrel. Carnival gained 2.7%, while EasyJet and Wizz Air rose 2.5% and 7.5% respectively
• Energy: Stocks declined 0.6%, with Shell and BP both down over 0.5%

Notable Movers:

Imperial Brands, maker of Davidoff cigarettes, plummeted more than 7% to a nine-month low after cutting its full-year outlook due to Middle East conflicts. Conversely, Intertek soared 11.8% to a one-year high following announcement that the testing and certifications group is considering a business split.

The market rally reflected broader European strength amid geopolitical developments.