FTSE 100 Falls to 14-Week Low

The FTSE 100 fell more than 1.5% to 10,432 on Thursday, its lowest level since June 23, as UK equities followed a broader sell-off across European markets. The decline came as global bond yields climbed, with the 30-year gilt yield briefly moving above 6% for the first time since 1998. The rise reflected broader international pressure, particularly from higher yields in France and the US, rather than developments in UK domestic politics. Banks were among the biggest decliners, with HSBC down more than 4%, Lloyds falling 4.4%, NatWest 5.2%, Barclays 3.8% and Standard Chartered 3.2%. AstraZeneca and GSK dropped 1.8% and 1.6%, while Unilever and BAT lost 2.4% and 3.4%. Miners also weakened, led by Rio Tinto and Glencore. Energy stocks bucked the trend, with Shell and BP gaining as oil prices advanced. Meanwhile, Nationwide reported UK house prices fell 0.2% in September, slowing annual growth to 0.8%, the weakest pace this year.