Feb. 16 at 6:11 PM
The London Stock Exchange rose 0.26% on Monday, closing at a new record high, driven mainly by gains in military and defense stocks.
The benchmark FTSE 100 gained 43.91 points to reach an all-time closing high of 10,473.69, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 fell 0.22% to 23,375.47 points. Since surpassing the 10,000-point mark for the first time at the start of 2026, the FTSE 100 has set several new records.
Among the top gainers was NatWest Group, whose shares climbed 4.76%. Defense contractors also posted strong gains, led by Melrose Industries (+3.89%), Babcock International Group (+3.89%), and BAE Systems (+3.10%).
On the downside, packaging company Mondi fell 4.27%, housebuilder Barratt Redrow dropped 3.86%, and wealth manager St. James's Place declined 3.85%.
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