FTSE 100 winners and losers as index slumps nearly 3%
There have been some significant movements in the blue-chip index following further escalation of the Middle East conflict. City writer Graeme Evans names there here.
19th March 2026 14:00
by Graeme Evans from interactive investor
Ten stocks in the FTSE 100 index have now lost a fifth or more of their value since the start of the Middle East conflict, while HSBC Holdings (LSE:HSBA) and Barclays (LSE:BARC) are among those down by 16%.
The selling pressure intensified today after the targeting of the region’s energy infrastructure caused a fresh spike in oil and gas prices and left the FTSE 100 index down by almost 3%.
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About 40 constituents of the FTSE 100 fell by 3% or more in today’s session, with Rolls-Royce Holdings (LSE:RR.) now 11% cheaper than when the war started after its latest 5.7% reverse to 1,184p.
Other high-profile losses amid the darker economic outlook included Aviva (LSE:AV.), which today fell 4.2% to 621.4p, and Lloyds Banking Group (LSE:LLOY) following a 4.4% drop to its lowest level since November at 92.3p.
BP (LSE:BP.) led an early afternoon risers board of just two stocks, which also included Centrica (LSE:CNA), after the oil giant bolstered its balance sheet with the sale of its Gelsenkirchen refinery in Germany.
The agreement means BP is now targeting cost savings of $7.5 billion (£5.6 billion) by 2027, which together with the upward direction of oil and gas prices today helped shares lift 2.5% to 570.4p.
The backdrop of the conflict has accelerated the recent recovery of BP shares, which are up by 20% since 27 February to trade at a multi-year high.
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Shell (LSE:SHEL) is up by 12% over the same period after today falling by 25.5p to 3,436p as traders reacted to last night’s damage of its Pearl gas-to-liquids plant in Qatar.
Thirteen FTSE 100 stocks are higher than when the war started, including Rentokil Initial (LSE:RTO), BAE Systems (LSE:BA.), Admiral Group (LSE:ADM) and Sage Group (The) (LSE:SGE). They also include quality compounder Diploma (LSE:DPLM) following yesterday’s big upgrade to profit guidance.
Biggest FTSE 100 risers since Iran war began
% change | |||||||
Name | Price | Today | Since Iran war began | Past month | 2026 | Forward yield | Forward PE |
569.6p | 2.5 | 19.3 | 18.9 | 31.6 | 4.6 | 15.0 | |
3430.25p | -0.9 | 11.6 | 16.5 | 25.2 | 3.3 | 13.3 | |
3261p | -1.1 | 10.0 | 15.2 | 2.7 | 5.3 | 14.1 | |
2272.5p | -2.5 | 7.6 | 5.1 | 32.6 | 1.7 | 28.2 | |
211p | 0.1 | 6.0 | 13.5 | 24.4 | 3.0 | 16.0 | |
474.4p | -1.9 | 4.0 | 2.6 | 6.0 | 2.0 | 22.4 | |
362.8p | -3.3 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 27.3 | |
5850p | -1.3 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 10.5 | 1.1 | 29.6 | |
2257p | -1.6 | 2.9 | 6.6 | 8.7 | 3.3 | 12.9 | |
831.2p | -0.7 | 1.1 | 3.1 | -23.3 | 2.8 | 16.8 | |
Source: ShareScope. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.
At the wrong end of the FTSE 100, miner Fresnillo (LSE:FRES) continues to give up some of the gold and silver price-fuelled rally that lifted its shares as high as 4,472p at the end of January.
It has now lost about 29% of its value as the worst-performing stock in the FTSE 100 since the start of the conflict, which includes today’s 9% fall to 3,024p.
Endeavour Mining (LSE:EDV) has also fallen by about 24% over the past three weeks, which reflects the downward trajectory of the gold price to $4,625 an ounce from January’s record $5,400.
The retreat and an even sharper decline for silver comes as the elevated outlook for US interest rates more than outweighs the traditional safe-haven appeal of precious metals.
Softer physical demand has also left the copper price at a three month-low, including a 3% fall in today’s session. That has weighed on Antofagasta (LSE:ANTO) and Anglo American (LSE:AAL), where declines since the start of the war now exceed 23%.
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The list of stocks down by a fifth or more also includes Reckitt Benckiser Group (LSE:RKT), the oil and gas-focused engineering firm Weir Group (LSE:WEIR) and the product testing and inspection business Intertek Group (LSE:ITRK).
Low-cost airline easyJet (LSE:EZJ) has dropped 24% ahead of its relegation from the FTSE 100, while ongoing disruption to flight schedules and the outlook for much higher jet fuel costs means International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (LSE:IAG) is down by just under 20%. The pair fell by around 4% today.
The latest setback for the housebuilding sector after lenders pulled deals and hiked mortgage rates means that Barratt Redrow (LSE:BTRW) shares have fallen by 24%.
It is a similar outcome for Persimmon (LSE:PSN), which having risen 50% between September and February’s peak of 1,552p is back where it was in October following today’s fall of 5% to 1,142p.
Biggest FTSE 100 fallers since Iran war began
% change | |||||||
Name | Price | Today | Since Iran war began | Past month | 2026 | Forward yield | Forward PE |
3024p | -9.0 | -28.7 | -21.8 | -9.3 | 4.1 | 12.3 | |
272.6p | -5.3 | -25.3 | -27.7 | -28.5 | 5.2 | 10.1 | |
3192p | -8.0 | -25.2 | -17.6 | -2.7 | 1.6 | 26.0 | |
351.5p | -4.3 | -24.2 | -26.1 | -31.2 | 3.7 | 5.6 | |
3578p | -2.5 | -24.2 | -20.3 | -22.7 | 4.7 | 13.8 | |
1142.5p | -5.0 | -24.1 | -25.4 | -15.9 | 5.4 | 11.6 | |
4031p | -8.5 | -23.8 | -14.5 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 8.1 | |
2851p | -8.0 | -23.0 | -20.3 | -7.6 | 2.8 | 25.0 | |
2746p | -6.0 | -22.0 | -20.6 | -3.5 | 1.6 | 21.7 | |
5213p | -2.2 | -19.9 | -19.3 | -13.1 | 4.1 | 15.3 | |
Source: ShareScope. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.
Meanwhile, stagflation fears have punctured the post-results optimism of stocks in the banking sector. Barclays, which last month unveiled a three-year plan to return at least £15 billion via dividends and buybacks, fell 5% in today’s session to trade back where it was in the autumn.
HSBC, which stood at a record high of 1,410p in February, is trading below where it started the year after a decline of 4% to 1,163.4p in today’s session.
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NatWest Group (LSE:NWG) today traded at 532.6p, which is where the lender stood in October. It fell 8.2% in today’s session after the lender’s shares and those of Standard Chartered (LSE:STAN), Melrose Industries (LSE:MRO), Beazley (LSE:BEZ), M&G Ordinary Shares (LSE:MNG) and Pearson (LSE:PSON) were marked ex-dividend.
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