FTSE 100 Dips Amid Corporate Uncertainty While Metal Miners Shine

The FTSE 100 index in London experienced a decline on Tuesday as investors responded to mixed corporate updates and remained cautious ahead of upcoming central bank meetings. Despite this downturn, gains in metal miners provided some relief to the index's losses. By 0949 GMT, the benchmark FTSE 100 was down 0.3%, while the FTSE 250 remained flat.

Recent data indicated a slowdown in Britain's job market, potentially alleviating the Bank of England's concerns about ongoing inflation. The BoE is widely expected to hold interest rates steady this week, having lowered them in August. Market experts, including Matthew Ryan of Ebury, predict no rate changes from the BoE and anticipate the U.S. Federal Reserve might announce a 25-basis-point interest rate cut during its policy meeting set to begin later today.

In the stock market, Haleon suffered a 3.3% drop following a downgrade from Barclays. Similarly, EasyJet saw a 2% decline after JPMorgan adjusted its rating. Conversely, metal miners surged 4%, driven by record-high gold prices, with Fresnillo leading gains. Trustpilot Group saw an 8.5% jump after favorable half-year results. Concurrently, U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Britain is expected to culminate in trade deals exceeding $10 billion.

(With inputs from agencies.)