UK Stocks Finish Higher

2026-07-16 16:17 By Luisa Carvalho 1 min. read

London's FTSE 100 erased early losses to close about 0.5% up at 10,572 on Thursday, as investors assessed a slew of corporate releases and economic data while monitoring ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Strong gains in industrials offset weakness in miners and tech stocks.

Rotork soared more than 60% after agreeing to a £4.1 billion takeover by Swiss engineering group ABB, lifting sentiment across the industrial engineering sector and sending shares of Weir Group, IMI, Spirax Group and Smiths Group higher.

Diploma surged over 6% after raising its margin outlook and forecasting stronger-than-expected organic revenue growth.

By contrast, Ocado tumbled more than 10% after underwhelming full-year results, while Experian (-1%) and Trustpilot (-10.7%) also fell following trading updates.

Frasers Group declined 1.9% after reporting a 4% drop in annual adjusted pre-tax profit and withholding full-year guidance.

Meanwhile, UK GDP rose by only 0.1% in May, in line with expectations.



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UK Stocks Finish Higher
London's FTSE 100 erased early losses to close about 0.5% up at 10,572 on Thursday, as investors assessed a slew of corporate releases and economic data while monitoring ongoing geopolitical tensions. Strong gains in industrials offset weakness in miners and tech stocks. Rotork soared more than 60% after agreeing to a £4.1 billion takeover by Swiss engineering group ABB, lifting sentiment across the industrial engineering sector and sending shares of Weir Group, IMI, Spirax Group and Smiths Group higher. Diploma surged over 6% after raising its margin outlook and forecasting stronger-than-expected organic revenue growth. By contrast, Ocado tumbled more than 10% after underwhelming full-year results, while Experian (-1%) and Trustpilot (-10.7%) also fell following trading updates. Frasers Group declined 1.9% after reporting a 4% drop in annual adjusted pre-tax profit and withholding full-year guidance. Meanwhile, UK GDP rose by only 0.1% in May, in line with expectations.
2026-07-16
The FTSE 100 Index Closes 0.42% Higher
The FTSE 100 Index went up by 44 points or 0.42 percent on Thursday to close at 10560 points. The rise was led by Diploma (5.98%), Weir (4.15%) and Metlen Energy & Metals (3.98%). On the downside, the weakerst performers were St. Jamess (-7.87%), Antofagasta (-4.12%) and Fresnillo (-3.18%).
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FTSE 100 Falls on Earnings, Middle East Tensions
London's FTSE 100 fell 0.5% to around 10,470, hovering near its lowest level since June 24, as investors assessed corporate earnings, fresh UK economic data, and rising Middle East tensions that threatened to stoke energy inflation across Europe. Experian dropped more than 4% after reporting higher revenue but maintaining its outlook. SSE lost 0.7% after reaffirming its earnings forecast and saying it remains on track to invest £5 billion this year. In contrast, Diploma surged 4% as the technical products distributor raised its margin forecast and issued stronger-than-expected organic revenue guidance. Elsewhere, Ocado's revenue slightly beat expectations, while Frasers warned that challenging trading conditions persist and said it was too early to provide guidance for fiscal 2027 amid ongoing bids for Hugo Boss and Accent Group. Rotork has agreed to a £4.1 billion takeover by its bigger Swiss rival ABB. Meanwhile, UK GDP rose 0.1% in May, rebounding from a 0.1% contraction in April.
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