U.K. stock markets opened with modest advances on Tuesday, tracking broader European gains amid media reports that Washington and Tehran may be preparing for another set of direct talks. The prospect of renewed diplomacy helped the pound firm against the dollar and supported a cautious rally in risk assets.
By 07:27 GMT the benchmark FTSE 100 had moved up 0.2%. The British pound also strengthened, rising 0.2% against the dollar to 1.3528 in GBP/USD trading. Across the continent, Germany’s DAX climbed by a little more than 1% while France’s CAC 40 was up 0.5%.
Company and sector developments
Recruitment group Pagegroup PLC (LON:PAGE) saw its shares slide by more than 6% after it described the outlook as increasingly uncertain amid geopolitical headwinds, despite delivering first-quarter gross profit in line with expectations. Reported gross profit fell 4.9% year on year to
Imperial Brands PLC (LON:IMB) maintained its full-year earnings guidance even as it warned that the Middle East conflict could create uncertainty for trading in the second half of the year. The company said it remains on track to achieve at least high-single-digit earnings per share growth and at least 5% adjusted operating profit growth for FY26, together with free cash flow of at least
BP PLC (LON:BP) reported that its oil trading division is on track for an exceptional first quarter. The company attributed the improvement to a sharp rise in oil prices following the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which has disrupted Middle East energy flows. BP said the trading arm is expected to deliver exceptional results for the first three months of 2026, a reversal from a weak final quarter of 2025.
Retail data released on Tuesday showed that UK retail sales rose 3.6% year on year in March, covering the period from March 1 to April 4. That represented an acceleration from 1.1% growth in the same month a year earlier and exceeded the 12-month average of 2.6%. The increase was driven by food sales, which climbed 6.8% compared with 1.6% growth in March 2025. Non-food sales edged up 0.9% versus 0.6% a year earlier. The British Retail Consortium pointed to an early Easter as a factor boosting food purchases over the long weekend.
Intertek Group PLC (LON:ITRK) said it has launched a strategic review to consider whether to split into two distinct businesses. The firm said it is evaluating a potential separation of Intertek Testing & Assurance - covering consumer products, corporate assurance, and health and safety - from its Energy & Infrastructure arm. The two divisions generated revenues of in 2025.
Oxford Instruments PLC (LON:OXIG) said it expects to deliver a full-year performance in line with market expectations, supported by strong order momentum in its Advanced Technologies division. The company expects full-year order intake to be up approximately 8% on an organic constant currency basis versus the prior year, and reported a book-to-bill ratio of about 1.07 for the year ended March 31, 2026.
National Gas published its 2026 Gas Summer Outlook on Tuesday and concluded that, under current conditions, the UK is expected to have sufficient gas supply to meet forecast demand over the summer months. Total gas demand for summer 2026 is comparable to summer 2025. The outlook anticipates gas demand for power generation will fall by around 6%, partially offset by a 2% rise in domestic demand.
Market context and near-term drivers
Market moves were influenced by the possibility of renewed U.S.-Iran diplomacy. A report suggested officials are seeking to convene another meeting before a two-week truce announced on April 7 expires next week, with Islamabad cited as one of several potential host cities under consideration. That development appeared to underpin modest risk-on sentiment and a firmer pound in early trading.
Across sectors, updates reflected a mixture of resilience and caution: strong trading at BP's oil desk and robust food-led retail sales contrasted with recruitment weakness at Pagegroup and noted uncertainties for some companies around Middle East volatility. Intertek's strategic review and Oxford Instruments' order momentum added corporate event risk and operational detail for investors assessing potential re-rating or strategic moves.
What to watch next
- Progress on reported U.S.-Iran talks and any official confirmations.
- Further corporate updates from companies that flagged uncertainty or strategic reviews.
- Gas supply and demand developments as summer approaches and National Gas' outlook is tested by underlying conditions.