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Britain's FTSE 100 slips on Middle East tensions; Rotork lifts FTSE 250
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Britain's FTSE 100 slips on Middle East tensions; Rotork lifts FTSE 250
Jul 16, 2026 4:10 AM

(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock

markets, click or type LIVE/ in a news window)

* FTSE 100 down 0.2%, FTSE 250 up 0.3%

* Rotork ( RTOXF ) jumped after ABB announced a $5.5 bln takeover

* Technology stocks led losses

* Ocado ( OCDGF ) hits 13-year low on U.S. partner concerns

By Tharuniyaa Lakshmi

July 16 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 edged lower on

Thursday as escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran

dampened risk appetite, while weakness in technology stocks

added to the pressure on the index.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index fell 0.2% to 10,492.99

points by 1038 GMT.

* Iran said that the Strait of Hormuz was an inviolable "red

line", warning that if U.S. President Donald Trump carried out

his threat to attack Iran's infrastructure, it would strike all

infrastructure across the Gulf region.

* Technology stocks led losses, with data and

technology firm Experian ( EXPGF ) falling 2.3% after reporting

in-line first-quarter results and maintaining its annual

outlook, while peer Relx ( RELX ) was down 1%.

* While the FTSE 100 remained under pressure, the midcap

FTSE 250 rose 0.3%, helped by a 66.8% jump in Rotork ( RTOXF )

after Swiss engineering group ABB announced a

$5.5 billion takeover of the British automation company.

* Meanwhile, Britain's economy eked out minimal growth in

May as the services industry expanded but other sectors shrank,

suggesting fragile confidence among businesses against the

backdrop of the Iran war and a change of prime minister at home.

* "The UK might have delivered the fastest growth in the G7

at the start of the year, but it's a low bar. And the UK's high

levels of debt make it particularly vulnerable to further

inflation shocks which may result from continued conflict in the

Middle East," said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at

AJ Bell.

* Among other stocks, Ocado ( OCDGF ) tumbled 18.8% to a

13-year low after the British online grocery and technology

group failed to show tangible progress in talks to secure new

U.S. partners to boost its business to effectively compete with

rapid delivery firms.

* Frasers Group ( SDIPF ) fell 5.4% after the British

retailer declined to provide fiscal 2027 outlook.

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