FTSE 100 closes 0.3 percent lower as oil lifts BP

The FTSE 100 closed down 35 points, or 0.3 percent, at 10,690 points on October 23. Higher oil prices and persistent concern about artificial intelligence spending kept the index under pressure, Alliance News reported.

BP was the strongest major stock, gaining 4.4 percent as Brent crude reached USD116.34. Rolls-Royce fell 7.6 percent after a weak response to Safran's results and concerns about high jet-fuel costs.

Why is FTSE 100 down today?

Brent crude rose from USD111.18 at the previous London close. The increase followed supply concerns linked to the conflict in the Middle East. Energy shares benefited, but higher oil prices also revived inflation and interest-rate worries.

UK retail sales volumes fell 0.4 percent in September, compared with a 0.1 percent decline expected. Consumer confidence dropped 11 points to minus 24. The S&P Global flash composite purchasing managers' index improved to 53.1 from 52.0, but that strength did not offset weaker consumer data, RTTNews reported.

Winners and losers in FTSE 100

Closing movers on October 23 came from the same London market session, according to Alliance News:

• BP up 4.4 percent: higher oil prices supported energy shares.
• Ithaca Energy up 3.9 percent: the oil rally lifted the producer.
• Shell up 3.7 percent: crude prices supported the integrated energy group.
• Rolls-Royce down 7.6 percent: Safran's update raised aerospace concerns.
• Computacenter down 5.0 percent: technology jitters weighed on the stock.
• Melrose Industries down 4.7 percent: aerospace weakness spread across the sector.

FTSE 100 ends a losing week

The index lost 1.8 percent over the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.8 percent at the London close, while the S&P 500 was down 0.1 percent and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.2 percent, Alliance News said.

The session range was 10,657 to 10,748 points. The previous close was 10,725 points, based on the closing data shown by Fidelity.

What comes next for FTSE 100

• October 26, 2026: Quadrise is scheduled to publish full-year results, while Germany's Ifo business climate report is due, Alliance News reports.
• October 27, 2026: HSBC is scheduled to release results, according to Hargreaves Lansdown.
• October 28, 2026: The UK Autumn Budget and results from GSK, Standard Chartered and Unilever are scheduled.

FTSE 100 price data for October 23, 2026

The FTSE 100 closed at 10,690 points on October 23, down 35 points or 0.3 percent from 10,725 points, Alliance News reported. The day high was 10,748 points and the day low was 10,657 points, according to Fidelity.

More market reports and analysis on the FTSE 100