British stocks opened higher on Tuesday as markets resumed activity following the Easter break, with investors keeping a close watch on a U.S. presidential deadline tied to Iran. At 07:08 GMT, the FTSE 100 had gained 0.09% while the pound slid 0.06% against the dollar to 1.3237.
Across mainland Europe, Germany's DAX was little changed at the open and France's CAC 40 was up about 0.5%.
Market backdrop
Trading reactivated after the holiday hiatus with attention concentrated on geopolitical timing in the United States. The combination of a small rise in the UK's blue-chip index and a modest drop in the pound reflected market participants positioning ahead of the deadline and the broader reopening of markets in the region.
UK economic snapshot
Preliminary industry figures published on Tuesday indicated that new car registrations in the UK rose by about 6% in March versus the prior period. Within that tally, battery electric vehicles achieved a record share for the month, representing roughly 23% of total registrations. That figure remains below the government's stated target of 33% for 2026.
Corporate update - WH Smith
WH Smith PLC (LON:SMWH) said that Leo Quinn has taken on the role of Executive Chair after shareholders approved the appointment at the company's General Meeting on March 12. The group also announced that Andrew Harrison has stepped down from the Board with immediate effect and will resume his role as chief executive of the firm's UK division.
What to watch
Investors will continue to track developments tied to the U.S. presidential timeline regarding Iran, moves in the pound against the dollar, and incoming UK industry data releases. At the corporate level, market participants may monitor the operational impact of leadership changes at companies such as WH Smith.
This update reflects market conditions and company announcements available at the time of the session reopening.