FTSE 100 Live: Stocks called higher as Starmer exit reported, easyJet bidder goes public

FTSE 100 trading opened the week with a moderate positive bias as multiple corporate developments were reported, alongside UK political headlines. Ocado denied speculation over founder and CEO Tim Steiner stepping down, saying it “continually engage[s] in long-term succession planning” and regularly engages with potential candidates. The report follows a Sky News claim that the board was lining up a successor, with chairman Adam Warby leading the search and discussing the role with Niklas Heuveldop, CEO of Vonage, to comply with governance processes. In deal news, the US private equity bidder Castlelake made its easyJet offer public after the airline’s board rejected a third takeover approach. Castlelake proposed 625p per share, described as a 59% premium to easyJet’s closing price before the bid was public, after earlier proposals of 560p and 600p were rejected. Separately, FTSE 100 futures pointed to an opening gain of around 10 points as Prime Minister Keir Starmer was expected to announce a timetable for his departure. UK political reporting also suggested Andy Burnham could become prime minister by autumn. US markets were closed for Juneteenth.