FTSE 100 Live: London stocks open lower with gold miners leading, 3i jumps

FTSE 100 moves in line with shifts in commodities and key corporate events, with precious-metals miners weighing on early Thursday trade as gold and silver edge lower. The FTSE 100 opened slightly down, dipping eight points to 10,453. Several large fallers were trading ex-dividend, including Experian, United Utilities, Lion Finance Group and Metlen Energy & Metals, while an “AI worries” theme pressured RELX, London Stock Exchange Group, Sage and Pearson. Defensive stocks also fell, with Imperial Brands, BAT and BAE Systems lower. In contrast, 3i Group led gains, up 16%, after an update suggested slowing growth at Action may be less severe than markets expected. In company news, Chemring won up to $345 million in new US defence contracts, including a modified five-year deal to restart its Philadelphia Alloy Surfaces business, with deliveries expected in the 2028 financial year.