BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks were seeing modest gains on Wednesday as investors assessed a deluge of earnings reports.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 0.4 percent at 7,630, led by gains in defensive stocks.
Banks climbed, with Standard Chartered, Lloyds Bank and HSBC Holding rising 2-3 percent on expectations that they will benefit from higher interest rates.
CRH jumped more than 5 percent after the building materials supplier said it expects sales and earnings margins to grow over the first half of 2022.
Engineering firm Senior Plc added 2 percent after reporting Q1 performance in line with expectations.
Miners Anglo American, Antofagasta and Glencore all fell around 2 percent as base metals prices fell.
Centamin slumped 7 percent after reporting a drop in is first-quarter gold production.
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