The FTSE 100 dropped 20.01 points to 8,746.72 on February 19. Glencore and airline stocks underperformed, with Glencore down 4% to 339.1p. HSBC and BAE Systems reported strong results, with HSBC shares up 4.1p to 902.2p, announcing a $1.2 billion buyback and a 16% dividend hike. BAE's shares rose 13.5p to 1,323p, with record figures in order backlog, sales, and dividends, boosted by global defense spending. UK inflation surged to 3%, driven by air fares, school fees, and fuel bills, impacting market sentiment.