UK Markets Daily: FTSE 100 Closes Up 0.4% on Friday 16 October 2026
The FTSE 100 closed up 0.4% at 10,881.90 on Friday 16 October 2026, while the FTSE 250 rose 0.45%, gold rose 0.25% to $4,180.60 an ounce and Brent crude rose 3.46% to $109.59 a barrel.
TL;DR: The FTSE 100 closed up 0.38% at 10,881.90 on Friday, while the FTSE 250 rose 0.45%, gold rose 0.25% to $4,180.60 an ounce, and Brent crude rose 3.46% to $109.59 a barrel.
Market snapshot
Closing levels on 16 October 2026 (data as of 2026-10-16 16:35 London time):
| Instrument | Price | Day change |
|---|---|---|
| FTSE 100 | 10,881.90 points | +0.38% |
| FTSE 250 | 24,533.90 points | +0.45% |
| GBP/USD | 1.33 | +0.63% |
| EUR/GBP | 0.84 | -0.41% |
| Gold | $4,180.60 per oz | +0.25% |
| Brent crude | $109.59 per bbl | +3.46% |
| Bitcoin | $81,285 | -0.93% (24h) |
| Ethereum | $2,426.28 | -0.24% (24h) |
What moved markets
- UK shares rose, with the FTSE 100 up 0.38% and the FTSE 250 up 0.45%. The data and headlines fetched today show no single clear driver for the share moves, so we are not going to invent one.
- Brent crude was the biggest mover, up 3.46% to $109.59 a barrel. Today’s headlines report that ship attack reports near Hormuz have reached a record high as oil exports slow, which sits alongside the rise in the oil price.
- The pound rose 0.63% against the dollar to 1.33, while the euro fell 0.41% against the pound to 0.84. Gold rose 0.25% to $4,180.60 an ounce.
- Bitcoin fell 0.93% over 24 hours to $81,285, while Ethereum fell 0.24% to $2,426.28.
Top UK business headlines
- Banks expect to be hit with higher taxes in Budget (BBC News)
- Watch: Did Tesla really just unveil a flying car? (BBC News)
- I find it quite demoralising in store – why I do all my shopping online (BBC News)
- Ship attack reports near Hormuz reach record high as oil exports slow (BBC News)
- Nandy ‘minded to intervene’ in Sky’s £1.6bn takeover of ITV entertainment arm (BBC News)
Tomorrow to Watch
The scheduled economic news that can move markets on Saturday 17 October 2026, in UK times:
- 07:45: BOE Gov Bailey Speaks. A scheduled speech by the Bank of England Governor. The calendar publishes no expectation for a speech. Markets listen for any view on inflation and interest rates, and comments can move the pound and UK government bond yields when trading resumes.
- All day: IMF Meetings. The International Monetary Fund meetings run to a sixth day, bringing together finance ministers and central bankers. Comments from the meetings can move currencies and bond markets, although there is no single data release to watch.
- Markets closed for the weekend. UK and US stock markets do not open on Saturday, and the published calendar shows no scheduled UK or US data releases for the day. The next full trading day is Monday 19 October 2026.
Times and expectations are taken from the published economic calendar and can change. We explain what each release is and what it usually moves; we do not predict which way markets will go.
See the full UK Markets Daily hub, updated every weekday evening.
Figures are indicative closing levels and can be delayed. Nothing here is financial advice.
Got a UK money question?
Ask it in the Ask UKMT live chat. No sign up, no names, and the answers are checked against official sources. Open the live chat
