London’s FTSE 100 got off to a worse start after Monday’s gain, falling by 7 points to 8,285 as the market opened.
Heavyweights Shell and BP weighed on the index early on, coinciding with a drop in oil prices as benchmark Brent crude approached the $74 a barrel mark.
Bellway got off to a better start, as the housebuilder jumped on upbeat commentary around improving market conditions ahead despite reporting a slump in profit for 2024.
FTSE 250 peer discoverIE also climbed after the custom electronics group reported interim earnings would match expectations and forward orders had improved.
And finally, job market figures from the ONS showed Britain’s unemployment rate unexpectedly fell from 4.1% to 4.0% in August.