By Reuters

Financial markets data and information are displayed on screens inside the LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) headquarters in Paternoster Square, London, Britain, April 25, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville

(Reuters) - British stocks rose on Tuesday after a ​report said the U.S. was looking to bring the Middle East conflict ‌to an end, but the main indexes were set for their worst monthly showing since 2020 as investors worried about the fallout from the war.

Global equities bounced after the Wall Street Journal reported U.S. ​President Donald Trump told aides he would be willing to halt the ​military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz stayed largely ⁠closed.

The blue-chip index FTSE 100 (.FTSE) rose 0.6% by 1057 GMT but was set to ​snap an eight‑month winning streak, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) climbed 1.1%, looking to ​end a three‑month run of gains.

• Most sub-indexes were in the green, except energy (.FTNMX601010) which fell 0.3% after oil prices turned volatile as investors weighed the possibility that the five-week-long war could end.

• Precious metals ​miners (.FTNMX551030) rose 2.2% and provided the biggest boost to the index as gold prices ​climbed, with investors flocking to the safe haven amid inflation fears and expectations of a hawkish ‌monetary ⁠policy response.

• British shop price inflation ticked up to 1.2% in March, with the BRC warning that Middle East conflict-related cost pressures were starting to feed into supply chains and could push prices higher.

• The Bank of England is closely monitoring food prices, as public inflation expectations ​rose to their highest ​level since 2023 ⁠in March, reinforcing caution over the policy outlook.

• Data from mortgage lender Nationwide showed that British house prices rose by more than expected in March, ​but the housing market is likely to slow as an ​increase in ⁠borrowing costs, triggered by the Iran war, impacts affordability.

• Raspberry Pi (RPI.L) soared 26.8% after the single-board computer maker posted better-than-expected rise in annual adjusted core earnings.

• Unilever (ULVR.L) rose 0.2% after the consumer goods firm ⁠said it ​was in advanced talks to combine its food ​business with spice maker McCormick (MKC.N) in a potential deal that would deliver $15.7 billion in cash and give shareholders ​majority control of the merged entity.

This week on Reuters

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• How investors buy gold and what fuels the market

• Carlyle to buy majority stake in MAI Capital at over $2.8 billion valuation

• Treasury market's next test: rising war costs