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London's FTSE 250 midcap index scales near three-month high; BP slides

Tue, 26th May 2026 17:01

* BP shares drop after Chair Albert Manifold ​ousted

* Progress ⁠in U.S.-Iran talks boosts investor sentiment

* HSBC, ​Barclays, Lloyds lift FTSE 100

* FTSE 100 up 0.2%; FTSE 250 up 0.7% (Updates to close)

May ​26 (Reuters) - ‌UK stocks climbed on Tuesday, with the FTSE 250 touching a near three-month high ⁠on renewed optimism over U.S.-Iran talks, while BP dropped ⁠after removing Chair Albert Manifold.

The ​blue-chip FTSE 100 closed 0.2% higher at 10,491.39 points, touching a five-week high. The FTSE 250 climbed 0.7% to its highest since March 2 in its fourth straight ​session of ‌gains.

* BP shares dropped 4% after Chair Albert Manifold was ousted with immediate effect, citing governance standards, oversight and conduct issues, months after he took office to help oversee a strategy revamp.

* U.S. and Iran signalled progress on ​a memorandum of understanding that could halt conflict between the two nations and restart ‌shipping through the pivotal blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

* However, U.S. strikes in southern Iran tempered some enthusiasm that the ‌deal was imminent.

* Major lenders HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds were among the top boosts to FTSE 100, while Rio Tinto and Glencore rose 2% and 3%, respectively, ​as metals prices firmed.

* The FTSE 100 index had ended a four-week losing streak on Friday ‌after softer economic data weakened expectations of a Bank of England rate hike.

* However, the latest report showed British shop price inflation sped up in May on ⁠the back ⁠of disruption and higher energy costs caused by the ‌war.

* Among individual stocks, Kingfisher rose nearly 4% after the home improvement retailer maintained its full-year profit ​outlook despite ​a drop in first-quarter underlying sales.

* Melrose Industries fell ‌5.3% after an overheating chemical tank at its GKN Garden Grove facility in California triggered an emergency response and evacuation orders over the weekend. (Reporting by Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore and David Gregorio)

Corporate News Market News Oil & Gas Mining Construction & Materials Engineering & Industrials Aerospace & Defense Consumer Goods Food & Beverages Retail Banking BP HSBC Holdings Barclays Lloyds Rio Tinto Glencore Kingfisher Melrose

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