Business · 18 August 2026

UK shares fall for 7th day, but oil giants defy the trend

The FTSE 100 index of top UK companies dipped on Tuesday, though energy giants BP and Shell actually gained value after oil pushed past $90 a barrel. Fading hopes for a Middle East ceasefire drove that jump in crude costs. In the wider economy, new official figures showed that private company wages are rising at their weakest pace since the end of 2020.

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