FTSE 100 closes higher: UK GDP lifts 115 points
Published on 10/15/2026 at 22:51 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSGrowth and defensive buying
- The FTSE 100 closed at 10,840 points on October 15, up 115 points or 1.1 percent.
- UK GDP grew 0.1 percent in August against a 0.1 percent contraction forecast.
- Antofagasta was the biggest FTSE 100 loser, down 6.4 percent.
- U.S. import and export prices are due October 16 at 7:30 a.m. ET.
The FTSE 100 closed on October 15, 2026 at 10,840 points, up 115 points or 1.1 percent. UK GDP grew 0.1 percent in August against a 0.1 percent contraction forecast, while lower bond yields supported equities, Morningstar reports.
Antofagasta fell 6.4 percent after its quarterly copper output missed expectations and its 2027 outlook fell short of forecasts, Morningstar reports.
Why did the FTSE 100 gain 1.1 percent?
The Office for National Statistics said monthly GDP rose 0.1 percent in August after 0.4 percent growth in July. Economists had expected a 0.1 percent decline, while output over three months rose 0.7 percent, the Office for National Statistics said.
Finance Minister John Healey also reaffirmed fiscal discipline ahead of the budget. The UK 10-year gilt yield fell to 5.34 percent after his comments, while the index benefited from lower exposure to technology stocks, Reuters reports.
Winners and losers in the FTSE 100
The following full-session moves come from Morningstar:
- Auto Trader up 3.1 percent
- IG Group up 3.0 percent
- Experian up 2.9 percent as software shares recovered
- Antofagasta down 6.4 percent after weaker output guidance
- Halma down 5.0 percent
- Rio Tinto down 4.0 percent as miners weakened
Financial, consumer and defensive shares advanced, while mining stocks and technology-linked companies faced pressure from renewed artificial-intelligence investment concerns.
FTSE 100 closes near its February record
The close was the highest since August 26, 2026. The index remained 0.64 percent below its record close of 10,910.55 points, reached on February 27, and stood 9.15 percent higher year to date, Morningstar reports.
What comes next for the FTSE 100
- October 16, 2026, 7:30 a.m. ET: U.S. import and export price indexes are due; forecasts are 0.9 percent and 1.0 percent month over month, Investing.com reports.
- October 16, 2026, 8:15 a.m. ET: U.S. industrial production is due, with a 0.4 percent monthly forecast after 0.0 percent previously, Investing.com reports.
