FTSE 100 Live: UK Stocks to Fall, Pound Holds at $1.33

And closer to home, negotiators for the European Union and the UK have reached a deal to strengthen their bilateral relationship ahead of a summit meeting today, Alberto Nardelli reports.
The agreement includes a defense and security partnership, a joint statement on working together on geopolitical challenges such as Russia's war in Ukraine and a 'common understanding' on a range of other issues.
The negotiating teams settled on a text at around 2 am European time and the draft still needs to be approved by political leaders on both sides, according to people familiar with the matter.
The BBC reported one area of discussion is a new European Commission initiative which would offer loans to member states to help them invest in defense through common procurement. The UK wants its defense companies to be able to bid for contracts under this scheme, though EU countries appear split over whether non-members such as the UK should be allowed to take part, the BBC says.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Yahoo

9 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Palantir Holds Anti-Fragile Edge Amid a Geopolitical Firestorm

As 2025 emerges as a year marked by heightened global conflict and uncertainty, Palantir Technologies Inc. PLTR is demonstrating how its platforms are increasingly relevant in volatile environments. From the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Iran escalation to rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, governments are rapidly investing in technologies that support secure, real-time decision-making under pressure. Palantir holds an antifragile edge because rising geopolitical instability amplifies demand for its AI-driven defense platforms, thus deepening integration and long-term relevance. As global conflicts intensify, its systems become more critical, reinforcing the company's strategic value and making it stronger in the face of adversity. Palantir's strength lies in its ability to offer mission-critical infrastructure and not just tools. Its Maven Smart Systems (MSS) platform, integrating AI with real-time intelligence, has seen a rapid increase in adoption, including NATO's recent selection of MSS as its Command and Control (C2) platform for all 32 member states. This underscores a broader institutional shift toward advanced, data-driven defense capabilities. In times of crisis, decision-makers are often inundated with fragmented data and evolving threats. Palantir's platforms, Gotham, Foundry and MetaConstellation, help unify and analyze this data securely, enabling informed and timely responses. Importantly, Palantir delivers sovereign and deployable AI systems, reinforcing the autonomy and operational integrity of its users. While no one welcomes conflict, the unfortunate reality of today's geopolitical landscape has led to renewed focus on resilient digital infrastructure. Palantir's deeply integrated solutions, particularly its Ontology framework, position it as a critical enabler of secure coordination and defense modernization. PLTR has surged a whopping 85% in 2025, with its stock reaching an all-time high near $145. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research With the stock trading above 200x forward P/E and 74x forward P/S ratio, far above industry averages, even optimistic analysts will acknowledge that such multiples are difficult to justify without efficient execution. As ceasefire negotiations and diplomatic resolutions begin, the 'war premium' currently embedded in PLTR's share price could dissipate as swiftly as it had emerged. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research PLTR stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its second-quarter 2025 earnings has been on the rise over the past 60 days. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. As PLTR moves higher, Lockheed Martin LMT and RTX Corporation RTX offer more grounded defense exposure. Lockheed Martin, with its massive defense contracts, provides steady cash flow and less volatility than PLTR. LMT continues to benefit from global rearmament while trading at modest earnings multiples. Similarly, RTX shines through missile systems. RTX's defense backlog, like LMT's, underscores its stability. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report RTX Corporation (RTX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Bloomberg

10 minutes ago

• Bloomberg

LME Imposes Rule Forcing Traders to Reduce Big Front-Month Bets

The London Metal Exchange set a new rule on Friday to force traders to reduce large positions, after the market was rocked in recent months by the arrival of some of the world's largest energy traders. The exchange said that, starting Monday, any trader with a position in the nearby month's contract larger than the total available stock would be forced to reduce its position by offering to lend it to other traders.

The Hill

16 minutes ago

• The Hill

How the AP decided to refer to the conflict between Israel and Iran as a war

The Associated Press is calling the current conflict between Israel and Iran a war, given the scope, intensity and duration of military activities on both sides. Other news organizations also have decided to refer to the conflict as a war, while some are still sticking with words such as 'conflict' or 'fighting.' When a conflict in the world spills into military action, it's important to use the correct terms to describe it. Sometimes a one-sided attack occurs without further action, or a conflict bubbles up and then ends quickly Using 'war' widely to describe these kinds of situations can diminish the word's importance. Then, when actual war breaks out, people might not understand its significance. The Merriam-Webster definition of war is quite broad: 'A state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations,' or 'a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism.' The fight between Israel and Iran meets those criteria, though neither has officially declared war. Since Israel launched an air campaign targeting Iran's military and nuclear program, there has been a significant escalation in the conflict. Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones into Israel. Israel has assassinated high-level Iranian officials; targeted the country's infrastructure; called for hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate Iran's capital, Tehran; and said it will continue its offensive. The AP provided guidance on the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war in the days and weeks after fighting began. In both cases, editors considered the number of casualties, the intensity of fighting, the involvement of each party, and what each country was calling the conflict. In both cases, the AP started using the word 'war' to describe the conflicts. AP capitalizes the word 'war' only as part of a formal name, which as of now does not exist. Decisions on how AP uses the term 'war' happen in real time. AP's news leaders and standards editors will continue to monitor developments to see whether changes are necessary. At this point, the level of fighting constitutes the countries being at war, no matter what happens next. If fighting were to end soon, AP would continue saying the countries had been at war. News leaders would consider whether the level of fighting at that time amounted to being at war. If other countries intervene in the war, AP would describe the intervention as military action in support of Israel or military support of Iran. AP would also consider whether the action constitutes those countries also being at war.