LIVE Updated 38 mins ago

FTSE 100 LIVE: Markets higher as traders look ahead to UK jobs and inflation data

How major markets are performing on Monday 

Lucy Harley-McKeown

Mon 16 February 2026 at 5:53 pm GMT+9 1 min read

In this article:

GBP=X

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^FCHI

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GBPUSD=X

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^FTSE

+0.24%

^GDAXI

+0.17%

The FTSE 100 (^FTSE) rose alongside European indices in early trade on Monday, gaining ground in what portends to be a docile day in global markets ahead of a busy week.

US futures markets are closed for the Presidents’ Day break. Markets will reopen on Tuesday.

Banking stocks led the charge on the FTSE 100, rebounding from losses on Friday. NatWest (NWG.L), Barclays (BARC.L) and Standard Chartered (STAN.L) were among top gainers.

Traders are looking to UK jobs and inflation data on Tuesday and Wednesday for clues about the health of the economy.

Market movers

London's premier index was 0.2% higher as markets opened up in London.

The more domestically focused FTSE 250 (^FTMC) traded 0.2% higher.

Over in Germany, the DAX (^GDAXI) was up 0.3%.

France's CAC 40 (^FCHI) gained 0.3%.

The pan-European STOXX 600 (^STOXX) rose 0.3%.

The pound fell marginally against the dollar (GBPUSD=X), trading above the $1.36 mark.

US markets are closed for Presidents Day.

LIVE 3 updates

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38 mins ago 

Lucy Harley-McKeown

 

 

Warner Bros considers reopening sale talks with Paramount: Bloomberg
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A Bloomberg exclusive this morning: The Warner Bros (WBD) — Paramount (PSKY) takeover could be back on.

 

Paramount is said to be raising the stakes in the potential deal, according to Bloomberg sources, aiming to outbid streaming rival Netflix (NFLX).

 

The company will cover a $2.8bn fee owed to Netflix if Warner Bros. terminates their agreement, and is offering to backstop a Warner Bros. debt refinancing, the report said.

 
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52 mins ago 

Lucy Harley-McKeown

 

 

House prices all but flatline after record January jump
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The average price tag on a home edged down by £12 month-on-month in February following a record jump of nearly £10,000 in January, according to a property website.

 

Across Britain, the average asking price for a home coming on the market in February is £368,019, Rightmove said.

 

In January, the average price tag on a home was £368,031.

 

Rightmove previously said the £9,893 average asking price increase seen in January 2026 was the biggest for the month of January in its 25 years of house price studies.

 

Over the past decade, asking prices in February have typically increased by 0.8% month-on-month.

 

But despite the average asking price standstill in February, January’s record asking price increase for the time of year means that 2026 is still the strongest start to a year for asking prices since 2020, with prices up by 2.8% since December, Rightmove said.

 

It said early year price growth was front-loaded into January as confidence rebounded after a prolonged period of uncertainty surrounding the autumn budget.

 

**Read more on Yahoo Finance UK**

 
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54 mins ago 

Lucy Harley-McKeown

 

 

Good morning
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Hello from London. It appears to have stopped raining (for now). On the slate today:

 

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    Rightmove's house price index (more on that later)
    
     
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    Japanese GDP figures
    
     
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    EU industrial production
    
     
 

 

In corporate results, Antofagasta (ANTO.L) and Bridgestone (BGT.F) are reporting.

 

Markets in the US are closed for Presidents Day.

 

Let's get to it.

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