United Kingdom: FTSE 100 Advances for 8th Month.

The FTSE 100 climbed 0.7% to around 10,923 on Friday, marking a fresh record and capping an eighth straight monthly gain, its strongest run since 2013 and best month since 2022 with a rise of about 6.8%. Drugmakers AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline advanced 2.6% and 1.3%, while energy giants Shell and BP added as crude posted a second monthly gain. Firms linked to AI themes rallied, including London Stock Exchange Group (5.3%), RELX (1.6%), Rightmove (4.7%), Pearson (1.4%) and Experian (0.5%). Rightmove reported higher revenue and launched a buyback. Consumer names Unilever and British American Tobacco also rose, alongside Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems. Banks such as HSBC Holdings, Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group declined, while Melrose Industries slumped almost 13% on cautious guidance. Data from GfK showed weaker consumer confidence, and a by-election win by the Green Party of England and Wales added pressure on Keir Starmer’s government.