London’s FTSE 100 was up 0.5% at 7,282.77in afternoon trade on Thursday.
BT rallied as it reported a fall in interim profits due to higher finance costs and partially offset by a rise in adjusted core earnings, but reaffirmed its outlook for 2022 and resumed dividend payments.
Smith & Nephew advanced even as it warned annual results would be at the low end of its guidance after Covid-19 and product shortages affected its orthopaedics business in the third quarter.
JD Sports was up even as the Competition and Markets Authority ordered the retailer to sell Footasylum after an in-depth investigation identified competition concerns.
Banks NatWest, Lloyds and Barclays were under the cosh after the Bank of England stood pat on interest rates at 0.1%.
Susannah Streeter, senior market analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said banks had been holding out for some relief from the record low rates which have eaten into their lending margins.
Hikma lost ground even after it reiterated full-year guidance as the company reported solid trading across its business.
FTSE 100 – Risers
BT Group (BT.A) 157.05p 10.48%
Smith & Nephew (SN.) 1,345.00p 4.06%
JD Sports Fashion (JD.) 1,122.00p 3.60%
Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI) (CCH) 2,593.00p 3.06%
British Land Company (BLND) 508.60p 3.06%
SEGRO (SGRO) 1,339.50p 3.04%
Sage Group (SGE) 734.80p 3.00%
Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 136.52p 2.96%
Barratt Developments (BDEV) 671.60p 2.75%
Persimmon (PSN) 2,738.00p 2.74%
FTSE 100 – Fallers
Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) 1,507.50p -5.66%
NATWEST GROUP PLC ORD 100P (NWG) 213.60p -5.02%
Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 48.16p -4.62%
Barclays (BARC) 192.60p -3.47%
Standard Chartered (STAN) 446.60p -3.23%
Pearson (PSON) 588.40p -3.16%
HSBC Holdings (HSBA) 431.90p -2.83%
Sainsbury (J) (SBRY) 281.20p -2.67%
Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 2,404.00p -2.44%
Schroders (SDR) 3,629.00p -1.92%
