Franklin FTSE United Kingdom ETF

FLGB

Market cap $878M

As renewed conflict in the Gulf drives up oil prices, airline investors and industry executives see mounting signs that Europe's financially ​weaker carriers may be headed for a shakeout.

London's FTSE 100 slipped on Wednesday as investors remained cautious over escalating tensions in the Middle East. Losses in precious metals miners outweighed gains in energy stocks, which benefited from a rise in oil prices.

The ECB hiked its key deposit rate by 25 basis points in June as energy prices spiked. Investors had written off a hike at next week's meeting, but higher oil prices have brought monetary policy back into question.

Eurozone industrial output in May snapped a three-month streak of resilient activity in the face of higher energy costs following the conflict between the U.S. and Iran.

The UK's main stock indexes traded lower on Tuesday as escalating tensions between the United States and Iran dampened investor sentiment. Losses in financial and travel stocks outweighed gains in the energy sector, where oil major BP advanced after indicating that higher oil prices and stronger trading performance would support its second-quarter earnings.

London's FTSE 100 was little changed on Monday as gains in oil majors helped offset weakness in financial shares, leaving investors to weigh the market impact of renewed US-Iran military exchanges. The blue-chip index edged up 0.03% to 10,499.88 points by 0927 GMT, while the domestically focused FTSE 250 slipped 0.1%.

London's major stock indexes fell more than 1% on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said an initial agreement to end the war on Iran was over, reviving investor concerns about escalating tensions in the Middle East and the possibility of higher oil prices. The benchmark FTSE 100 dropped 1.3% to 10,519.17 points by 1111 GMT.

Threats of a resumed conflict and potential disruption in the Strait of Hormuz triggered a surge in global crude oil prices, with the benchmark Brent Crude Futures index surging above $79 a barrel, up from around $72 at the start of this week.

The DAX is singled out as the market most likely to see squeeze-driven gains in the weeks ahead Citi has warned that European stock markets face a growing risk of short squeezes, as investors caught betting against rising prices are forced to buy back their positions. The US bank said global equity positioning remained supportive of further gains, but that regional differences were becoming more pronounced.

The UK's FTSE 100 index edged higher on Tuesday as gains in energy stocks, led by Shell, offset weakness in precious metals miners. Rising oil prices and strength in consumer-focused shares also supported the benchmark index, while the midcap FTSE 250 traded lower.