FTSE 100 Up Nearly 1% On Encouraging Earnings Updates

(RTTNews) - U.K. stocks are up firmly in positive territory Thursday morning amid easing concerns about trade, as the U.S. and EU appear set to strike a deal sometime soon. Investors are also reacting to earnings updates and the latest batch of regional economic data.

The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 85.87 points or 0.91% at 9,147.36 about a quarter before noon.

Howden Joinery is soaring 11.6%, buoyed by strong first-half earnings. The company said that its pre-tax profit rose 4.4% to 117 million pounds for the six months ended June 2025.

Reckitt Benckiser is climbing up nearly 11%. The consumer healthcare and hygiene power-house upgraded its full-year guidance after a strong performance in the first-half.

BT Group is gaining about 8% after naming Patricia Cobian, currently with rival Virgin Media O2, as its first female chief financial officer.

Airtel Africa is up nearly 7%. Vodafone Group is gaining 4.7% after the telecommunications company launched a €500 million share repurchase program that will run through November 10, 2025.

Babcock International, Diploma, Standard Chartered, Kingfisher, Ashtead Group, AstraZeneca and Barclays are gaining 2 to 2.5%.

Lloyds Banking is modestly higher after reporting a 5% rise in first-half profit.

SSE is down 2.1%. Fresnillo, Endeavour Mining, 3i Group, Intercontinental Hotels and Melrose Industries are down 1.25 to 2%.

On the economic front, according flash estimates, the UK S&P Global Composite PMI fell to 51 in July from 52 in the previous month. The expansion was supported by the services sector (51.2 vs 48.2 in June), offsetting a softer decline for the manufacturing sector (48.2 vs 47.7).

A report from the Confederation of British Industry showed business confidence in the United Kingdom increased to -27 points in the third quarter of 2025 from -33 points in the second quarter of 2025.

Another report from the same bureau said that the UK's total order book balance rose slightly to -30 in July 2025, up from -33 in June,