London midday: FTSE ticks higher as Ithaca Energy, BT Group gain
5th Oct 2026 10:51
(Sharecast News) - London stocks had ticked higher by midday on Monday as investors continued to weigh up last week's weaker-than-expected US non-farm payrolls report - which raised expectations the Federal Reserve will keep rates on hold this month - against concerns about the energy crisis.
The FTSE 100 was 0.2% firmer at 10,487.27. At the same time, oil prices were starting to creep up again, having fallen after G7 leaders agreed to release 100m barrels of crude and diesel over the next four months and after the International Energy Agency said its members have so far released around 325m barrels of oil from the 400m barrels pledged in March.
Brent crude was up 0.6% at $102.88 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate was 0.4% lower at $90.74
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: "The non-farm payrolls number was a long way short of expectations, but in a looking-glass world where weak economic data could mean relief on the rate hike front this has been taken positively by investors. This logic was applied in Asia too, which saw widespread gains.
"Less positively for markets, oil is still holding above $100 per barrel, even if signs of improvement in the supply picture have helped to keep crude in check."
On home shores, a survey showed that growth in the services sector eased a touch in September, with cost burdens rising sharply amid surging fuel prices.
The S&P Global services PMI business activity index nudged down to 52.1 from 52.5 in August, coming in above the flash estimate of 51.7. A reading above 50.0 indicates expansion, while a reading below signals contraction.
The survey also showed that input cost inflation was the strongest since June amid rising fuel prices. S&P said higher oil and gas prices, alongside international shipping disruption, resulted in many reports of greater prices paid for energy, fuel and transportation.
The September data marked two years of continuous job cuts across the service as a whole. However, S&P said the rate of decline in workforce numbers remained only modest and was the slowest since October last year.
Tim Moore, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: "New order intakes increased only slightly in September and at the slowest pace for three months. Geopolitical tensions, squeezed consumer budgets and higher borrowing costs were cited as sales headwinds. Resilient demand for technology services remained the main bright spot, while some firms noted receding risk aversion among clients.
"September data marked two years of continuous cutbacks to employment numbers in the service sector amid ongoing efforts to reduce overheads. However, greater-than-expected business requirements seem to have helped to stem the jobs downturn in recent months, with the latest fall the slowest since October 2025.
"Surging fuel prices due to the Middle East conflict continued to drive up input cost inflation in September. This led to the sharpest increase in prices charged by service sector companies since May and therefore signalled a clear reversal of the slowdown seen in the middle of 2026."
In equity markets, Ithaca Energy rallied after agreeing with Suncor to buy a portfolio of conventional offshore oil assets located in shallow waters off the East Coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, for up to $1.1bn.
BT Group gained after saying it has bought TalkTalk out of administration on a debt-free basis. BT estimated the total cash impact of the acquisition in FY27 at around £400m, comprising consideration, transaction and administration costs, working capital impacts as well as a trading loss of approximately £60m and non-receipt of circa £100m otherwise due to Openreach.
The company said it recognised the risk to the country, "and especially vulnerable customers and key public services, should the company collapse". As a result, it approached the directors of TalkTalk and offered to step in immediately, in the public interest, "to protect customers and critical national infrastructure".
Metlen Energy & Metals advanced after it signed a long-term commercial agreement with an unnamed Japanese chemical company for the future supply of gallium, representing up to 16% of total production from its facility in Greece, which is currently under construction.
Sirius Real Estate rose as it hailed a "strong" period of double-digit rent roll growth for the half year to 30 September.
National Grid was little changed despite saying it expects full-year earnings per share growth to come in slightly ahead of guidance for 13% to 15%.
Market Movers
FTSE 100 (UKX) 10,487.27 0.24%
FTSE 250 (MCX) 24,117.06 -0.32%
techMARK (TASX) 6,160.45 0.14%
FTSE 100 - Risers
Ithaca Energy (ITH) 285.50p 3.70%
BT Group (BT.A) 199.65p 1.71%
Metlen Energy & Metals (MTLN) 49.40p 1.65%
London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) 8,212.00p 1.53%
Babcock International Group (BAB) 931.80p 1.11%
Airtel Africa (AAF) 311.00p 1.11%
Fresnillo (FRES) 2,725.00p 1.08%
Shell (SHEL) 3,634.00p 1.06%
Haleon (HLN) 331.60p 1.04%
Relx plc (REL) 2,551.00p 0.95%
FTSE 100 - Fallers
3i Group (III) 2,442.00p -4.34%
Halma (HLMA) 3,524.00p -2.11%
Barratt Redrow (BTRW) 312.00p -2.04%
Balfour Beatty (BBY) 919.00p -1.97%
IG Group Holdings (IGG) 970.00p -1.92%
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 434.20p -1.59%
Whitbread (WTB) 2,406.00p -1.39%
Kingfisher (KGF) 324.40p -1.04%
Weir (WEIR) 2,558.00p -0.85%
Investec (INVP) 600.50p -0.74%
FTSE 250 - Risers
Playtech (PTEC) 386.00p 3.31%
Wetherspoon (J.D.) (JDW) 943.00p 3.01%
Sirius Real Estate Ltd. (SRE) 89.35p 3.00%
Trustpilot Group (TRST) 236.80p 2.69%
CMC Markets (CMCX) 644.00p 2.53%
Energean (ENOG) 710.50p 2.08%
JPMorgan Emerging Markets Growth & Income (JMGI) 173.80p 2.00%
Entain (ENT) 421.10p 1.86%
Harbour Energy (HBR) 274.00p 1.78%
Fidelity Emerging Markets Limited Ptg NPV (FEML) 1,522.00p 1.73%
FTSE 250 - Fallers
Ceres Power Holdings (CWR) 403.60p -6.28%
Volex (VLX) 662.00p -3.36%
Raspberry PI Holdings (RPI) 700.00p -2.97%
Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) 216.60p -2.96%
B&M European Value Retail (BME) 244.00p -2.71%
Seraphim Space Investment Trust (SSIT) 197.60p -2.32%
Kier Group (KIE) 301.00p -2.27%
Rosebank Industries NPV (ROSE) 308.00p -2.22%
Persimmon (PSN) 1,211.50p -2.22%
Renishaw (RSW) 5,840.00p -2.01%