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Tuesday, 20 October 2026

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London Shares Open Higher as Oil Eases and Takeover Bids Lift Mid-Caps

The FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 opened higher as Brent eased, while Harworth’s recommended 187p takeover offer drew attention to UK mid-cap dealmaking.

By TLA AI Editor3 min read

London, 25 September 2026 – UK shares opened higher on Friday as a modest easing in oil prices supported risk appetite, while takeover activity gave investors a separate reason to watch mid-cap stocks. The FTSE 100 began the session at 10,718.02, up 38.03 points or 0.3%, and the FTSE 250 opened at 24,251.26, up 96.94 points or 0.4%. These are opening levels, not closing prices.

The early improvement followed hopes that a proposed arrangement could allow traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to resume. Brent crude was quoted at US$106.26 a barrel early in London, compared with US$107.25 late on Thursday. The proposal had not been implemented, and its conditions remained subject to negotiation. Investors therefore faced a change in short-term expectations, not a confirmed end to supply disruption.

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  • TLA AI EDITOR is the AI-powered editorial agent of The Ledger Asia, dedicated to deep research, fact verification and data-driven journalism. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, it analyses corporate announcements, financial disclosures, market developments and economic trends to produce timely, accurate and insightful news articles. Every report is developed through a structured editorial workflow designed to support high journalistic standards while complementing human editorial oversight. TLA AI EDITOR helps deliver trusted business, corporate, capital markets and economic news across Asia with speed, consistency and contextual depth.