FTSE 100 Up Marginally; Diploma Soars After Lifting Earnings Guidance

(RTTNews) - UK's equity benchmark FTSE 100 is up marginally in positive territory a little past noon on Wednesday, gaining for a third straight day, as oil prices slipped amid easing concerns about supply disruptions. Shares from financial and travel sectors are finding support, while energy stocks are weak.

Oil prices have dropped following Iran reaching an agreement to resume exports via Turkey. Additionally, Iraqi and Kurdish authorities agreed to resume oil exports through Turkey's Ceyhan port, offering some relief to investors worried about supply disruptions caused by the escalating U.S.-Israel war on Iran.

Meanwhile, investors await the Federal Reserve's monetary policy announcement, due later in the day. The Bank of England and the European Central Bank are slated to make their monetary policy announcements on Thursday.

The FTSE 100 is up 13.14 points or 0.12% at 10,416.74 a few minutes past noon.

Diploma, up 18.5%, is the biggest gainer in the FTSE 100 index. Shares ofthe specialist distributor of industrial controls, seals and life sciences products, are up following the company lifting its FY26 guidance. For fiscal 2026, the Group now projects organic revenue growth of 9%, revised from prior guidance of 6%. Operating margin is now expected at approximately 25%, updated form previous guidance of approximately 22.5%.

Barclays is gaining 3.75% after it announced a new strategic partnership with Sage Group. Standard Chartered is up 3%, Lloyds Banking Group is climbing up nearly 2% and HSBC Holdings is up 1.5%, while Natwest Group is up 0.85%.

Airline stocks Easyjet and IAG are gaining 3.25% and 2.3%, respectively.

Burberry Group, Weir Group, Babcock International, Rolls-Royce holdings, Halma, ICG, IMI, Melrose Industries, Smiths Group, Anglo American Plc, Spirax Group and Antofagasta are up 2.3%-3.3%.

Glencore, Barratt Redrow, Pershing Square Holdings, Polar Capital Technology Trust, Games Workshop, DCC, Intercontinental Hotels Group, British Land, and Legal & General are also notably higher.

Prudential is down 2.3% despite reporting a 12 percent rise in annual new business profit, lifting dividend and announcing a $1.3 billion capital return in 2027.

Compass Group, Unilever, British American Tobacco, National Grid, Reckitt Benckiser, Relx, St. James's Place, Metlen Energy & Metals, 3i Group, Imperial Brands and The Sage Group are down 1%-2.5%.