The UK market's benchmark index FTSE 100 gained modest ground in positive territory Friday morning despite lingering concerns about Middle East tensions, and reports saying Hezbollah has rejected a new ceasefire agreement with Israel.
According to reports, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) eliminated Hezbollah's engineering unit commander Abed Harb, escalating tensions.
Meanwhile, investors await U.S. non-farm payroll data for the month of May, due later in the day.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
May 22, 2026 14:46 ET Minutes of the latest Fed policy session was the highlight of the week along with survey data on the U.S. housing market. In Europe, survey data signaled the trends in the euro area private sector. Further, consumer price inflation data from the U.K. was in focus. In Asia, various economic indicators from China drew attention to the health of the economy.