FTSE 100 Live: London stocks open higher, shrugging off oil above $100

London’s FTSE 100 opened softer but recovered quickly on Friday, trading about 25 points higher at 10,664.36 as Brent crude pushed above $100 per barrel. The early move contrasted with expectations for a 40-point decline at the opening. Software group The Sage Group PLC led the gainers, up 1.7%, while Pershing Square Holdings and RELX each rose 1.5%. On the downside, Airtel Africa fell 2.7%, Standard Chartered dropped 1.8%, and Rio Tinto slid 1.6%. Retail sales data also supported sentiment: UK retail sales volumes rose 1% in June versus May, lifting volumes 0.6% across the second quarter versus the first three months. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s Section 301 tariff wall returned, applying 10% to 12.5% duties to around 60 trading partners tied to forced-labor rules, after a prior Supreme Court setback.