The FTSE 100 Index Closes 0.26% Higher

The FTSE 100 Index rose 27 points or 0.26 percent on Thursday to close at 10587 points. Leading the gains are Intertek (10.33%), Entain (6.26%) and Halma (4.66%). Top losers were Easyjet Plc (-5.65%), Antofagasta (-3.08%) and Airtel Africa (-2.88%).

The FTSE 100 moved higher on Thursday as investors looked for progress toward a longer-term peace deal in the Middle East. Energy stocks led gains with BP rising around 3.6% and Shell adding 1.2% as crude climbed back above $97 per barrel. Also, Rio Tinto was up 1.8%, and Anglo American gained 0.6% following strong Chinese data. Tesco rose close to 4% after posting solid sales and profit growth, announcing a £500 million buyback and widening its guidance amid geopolitical uncertainty, while Entain gained more than 6% after reaffirming its outlook. On the downside, EasyJet dropped over 5% after a cautious update linked to the conflict, and Rentokil slipped about 1.3% despite steady results. Defence stocks also weakened, with Rolls-Royce down more than 2.5% and BAE Systems falling 1.2%. Meanwhile, data showed UK GDP grew 0.5% in February, well above expectations of 0.1%.

The FTSE 100 edged slightly higher on Thursday but remained largely unchanged for a sixth straight session as investors weighed an uncertain outlook for the Iran conflict and ongoing peace talks. On the economic front, the UK economy grew 0.5% in February, well above expectations of 0.1%. Tesco gained more than 3% after reporting solid sales and profit growth, announcing a £500 million buyback and widening its guidance range due to geopolitical uncertainty. Entain rose over 4% after maintaining its outlook for net gaming revenue growth. Mining stocks also advanced, with Rio Tinto up 2.2% and Anglo American gaining 1.6% following strong Chinese data. On the downside, EasyJet fell more than 1.5% after a cautious trading update citing uncertainty from the Middle East conflict, while Rentokil slipped around 1% despite maintaining its annual guidance after steady first quarter performance.