BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - UK stocks are up in positive territory a little past noon on Friday, remaining firm after a steady start. Despite concerns about inflation and uncertainty about tariffs, investors are picking up stocks amid cautious optimism about growth.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 60.44 points or 0.7% at 8,776.89 a few minutes past noon.
M&G, the top gainer in the FTSE 100 index, is up 5.7%. GSK is up by about 2.3% and BT Group is rising 2%. Unite Group, Severn Trent, SSE, Tesco, Whitbread, Hiscox, Weir Group and United Utilities are gaining 1.5 to 2%.
Reckitt Benckiser, Beazley, IMI, St. James's Place, Intertek Group, Schroders, Tayler Wimpey, Associated British Foods and Babcock International are also notably higher.
IAG, Compass Group, Auto Trader Group, Scottish Mortgage, Howden Joinery and Endeavour Mining are down 0.5 to 1.2%.
Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited (SMMT) showed UK car production fell 15.8% year-on-year in April 2025 to 59,203 units, as US tariffs and the timing of Easter disrupted manufacturing. This marks the lowest April output since 1952.
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
