BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - A positive outlook on the corporate sector overshadowed concerns about geopolitics and inflation that helped the FTSE 100 record modest gains in Thursday's trading.
FTSE 100 oscillated between 8,120.20 and 8,065.22 as compared with the previous day's closing level of 8,085.07.
The benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange is currently trading at 8,119.10, having added 0.42 percent on an overnight basis.
In the 100-scrip index, 70 are trading in the overnight positive zone.
Halma jumped more than 7 percent after posting strong financial results. Endeavour Mining, Centrica and Beazley, all gained more than 2 percent. Experian as well as Diploma followed with gains of more than 1.5 percent.
JD Sports Fashion tumbled more than 14 percent amidst a profit warning. Vodafone and Frasers, both slipped more than 2 percent. Melrose Industries, National Grid, British Land Co and DCC, all suffered declines in excess of 1 percent.
The GBP/USD pair slipped 0.09 percent overnight to 1.2639. The sterling ranged between $1.2660 and $1.2623 in the day's trade. The EUR/GBP pair has declined 0.10 percent to 0.8326. The GBP/JPY pair has dropped 0.72 percent to 195.25.
Bond yields in the U.K. hardened more than peers as markets scaled back rate cut expectations from the Bank of England in the backdrop of higher-than-expected inflation levels. Ten-year bond yields hardened 0.72 percent to 4.5020 percent. The yields ranged between 4.5310 percent and 4.4860 percent over the course of the day. The same was 4.4700 percent a day earlier.
In data released earlier in the day, the Confederation of British Industry's Industrial Trends Survey showed manufacturing output volumes fall in the quarter to November, and at a faster pace than in the three months to October. The monthly net balance of new orders stood at -19 in November versus -27 in October. Markets had expected a level of -25. Manufacturers expecting output volumes to rise modestly in the quarter to February lent support to market sentiment.
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