FTSE 100 Live: Unilever helps index open higher, but Barclays falls

FTSE 100 up 63 points to 10,844 Unilever jumps after best quarter in a decade Barclays and Games Workshop fall on results US Fed meeting begins today

10.54am: Unilever gets more praise Unilever delivered a "stand out performance", says Barclays analyst Warren Ackerman, driven by a big beat from home and personal care that was broad based. Emerging markets were "stronger than even we hoped" but the US was also "very dynamic". Q2 underlying sales growth (USG) of 5.8% with volume growth of 5.5% was ahead of even Barclays' top-of-range forecast of 4.5%, with the bottom end of USG range also upgraded for the full year.

"The one softer area was Foods, where management acknowledged weaker developed market conditions and increased competition in US condiments but have very specific plans to improve the performance from here." Ackerman says there is "scant picking for the bears who can really only focus on Foods and the low pricing".

10.11am: Oil prices soften further Oil prices are taking another leg lower, with Brent crude falling to $85.70 a barrel, while the FTSE 100 has moved to within 100 points of its all-time high from February. Reports have been saying that more oil tankers are heading toward Egypt to pick up Saudi crude to avoid the Red Sea threat poised by the Houthis. More oil tankers (VLCCs) are heading toward Egypt to pick up Saudi crude (via a bypass pipeline for the bypass pipeline), rather than the Red Sea. The voyage around Africa adds 25 days extra (each way). It's an expensive detour, but it works, keeping Saudi oil flowing for now. — Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) July 28, 2026 Market analyst Lale Akoner at eToro says: “Oil’s sharp drop after the US paused military ...