In London, the FTSE 100 index ended down 10.37 points, or 0.1%, at 10,684.88.
asserted
index → end → 10,684.88
The FTSE 250 rose 74.18 points, 0.3%, to 24,335.32, and the AIM all-share fell 3.00 points, 0.4%, at 783.36.
asserted
AIM → rise → 783.36
Housebuilders dominated the risers’ list on London’s stock market.
asserted
Housebuilders → dominate → market
On the FTSE 100, Barratt Redrow jumped 12%, while on the FTSE 250, MJ Gleeson, Persimmon, Bellway and Taylor Wimpey rose 20%, 15%, 10% and 12% respectively.
asserted
Gleeson → jump → FTSE
The stellar gains came after the UK government’s announcement on Saturday of Your First Home, a programme for England that will allow eligible first-time buyers to purchase a new-build property with a deposit of as little as 2.5%, alongside a government-backed equity loan worth up to 20% of the purchase price.
asserted
buyers → come → price
RBC Capital Markets analyst Anthony Codling said: “We believe this is the big catalyst the sector as a whole needed for a re-rating, and whilst most of us have 88 sleeps to Christmas, Christmas has come early for the UK housebuilders.”
asserted
Christmas → say → housebuilders
In European equities on Monday, the CAC 40 in Paris ended up slightly, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt closed down 0.1%.
asserted
DAX → end → Frankfurt
In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.7% at the time of the closing bell in London.
asserted
Average → close → London
The S&P 500 was 0.8% lower, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.0%.
asserted
Composite → decline → ?
Bucking the weaker market, Nvidia rose 2.2% after it authorised an increase in its current run of buybacks, which are due to be completed in 2028.
asserted
which → buck → 2028
Read More
The California-based chipmaker has increased its share repurchase scheme by 150 billion dollars (£113 billion), boosting the programme’s total value to 235 billion dollars (£177 billion).
“This marks the largest share repurchase authorisation increase in history,” Nvidia noted.
asserted
Nvidia → read → history
Instead, the Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that Mr Trump told aides that he expects to resume bombing Iran after November’s midterm elections.
asserted
he → report → elections
Complicating the picture further, Mr Trump told Axios that US negotiators could be involved in further talks this week.
uncertain
negotiators → complicate → talks
Brent oil was quoted at 107.60 dollars a barrel in London on Monday at the time of the equity market close, up from 106.21 dollars late on Friday.
asserted
oil → quote → Friday
Back in the UK, John Healey said the Government plans to bring back hope through a “new age of industrialisation”.
asserted
Government → say → industrialisation
With a month to go until he delivers his budget, the Chancellor pledged to stick to the fiscal rules, adding that he hopes to “build a more resilient country” than the one left by the Conservatives.
Mr Healey announced £6 billion of new contracts for British shipyards, and said Rolls-Royce will invest £300 million in British factories in Derby, Bristol, Glasgow and Rotherham, in what he described as a “new age of industrialisation”.
asserted
he → go → industrialisation
The pound was quoted at 1.3256 dollars on Monday, up from 1.3238 dollars at the same time on Friday.
asserted
pound → quote → Friday
Against the euro, sterling firmed to 1.1658 euros from 1.1616 euros.
asserted
sterling → firm → euros
The euro fell to 1.1370 dollars from 1.1396 dollars.
asserted
euro → fall → dollars
Against the yen, the dollar was trading at 157.44 yen, up from 157.36 yen.
asserted
dollar → trade → yen
The yield on the US 10-year Treasury was quoted at 5.26%, stretched from 5.21%.
asserted
yield → quote → %
The yield on the US 30-year Treasury was quoted at 5.57%, widened from 5.52%.
asserted
yield → quote → %
On the FTSE 100, mining stocks fell back sharply amid lower metal prices.
asserted
stocks → fall → prices
Fresnillo fell 5.1%, and Endeavour Mining shed 4.5%.
asserted
Mining → fall → %
On the FTSE 250, Hochschild Mining ebbed 7.2%.
asserted
Mining → ebb → FTSE
David Morrison, analyst at Trade Nation, explained that the problem for gold is that the US dollar continues to strengthen.
asserted
dollar → explain → gold
“The dollar is enjoying a tailwind from the prospect of higher US interest rates and this looks unlikely to fade in the near term,” he said.
“
asserted
he → enjoy → term
The CME’s FedWatch Tool now shows a 94% probability of at least one 25-basis point rate hike before year-end.
asserted
Tool → show → end
At the same time, the dollar is the world’s preferred ‘flight to safety’ financial instrument, so it looks likely to find support for as long as the US-Iran war continues.”
asserted
war → look → support
Gold was quoted at 4,123.33 dollars an ounce, down from 4,282.86 dollars.
asserted
Gold → quote → dollars
On the FTSE 250, Entain fell 5.1%, extending its recent miserable run, after it responded to Brazil introducing an immediate provisional ban on online sports betting and gaming.
asserted
Brazil → fall → betting
Isle of Man-based Entain, which owns the Ladbrokes and Coral brands, continues to expect underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of £910 million to £960 million in 2026 and an online underlying Ebitda margin of 21% to 22%, although it now expects both to be towards the lower end of their respective ranges.
asserted
both → base → ranges
Entain said the South American country had been expected to contribute 5% of its global online net gaming revenue in 2026.
asserted
country → say → 2026
However, the earnings contribution of that business was expected to be “modest”, thanks to being a very competitive market.
asserted
contribution → expect → business
Elsewhere, Tribal Group climbed 19% after accepting an improved takeover offer from Main Capital.
asserted
Group → climb → Capital
But Bodycote eased 3.1% as CVC Advisers said it does not intend to make an offer for the thermal processing firm.
asserted
it → ease → firm
This leaves the path clear for a rival bid from Veritas Capital Fund Management, which Bodycote accepted at the start of this month.
asserted
Bodycote → leave → month
Among small-cap stocks, Checkit plummeted 22% after it ended a formal sale process after failing to strike a deal it felt able to recommend to shareholders.
asserted
it → plummet → shareholders
The Cambridge-based workflow management software provider said it had received a variety of approaches but had failed to reach agreement on any.
asserted
it → base → any
Checkit said the process reinforced its view that it represents a strategically relevant platform in an attractive, consolidating market.
asserted
it → say → market
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
