Top London stocks shrugged off weak UK inflation and a fresh outbreak of Covid-19 in China to notch up a slight gain today.
The FTSE 100 rose 10.46 points, or 0.2%, to 6,253.25, while the French Cac 40 and German Dax indices were up nearly 0.9% and 0.54% respectively.
Brent crude oil was lower by around 0.7% at $40.68 per barrel, with the pound almost unchanged against the US dollar at $1.2536, as of 6pm.
Scottish energy firm SSE romped to the top of the Footsie risers’ board, up more than 9% at £13.85, despite it announcing a plunge in annual profits alongside news of a £7 billion spending splurge on low-carbon energy construction projects including a £580 million wind farm in Shetland.
FTSE 250 firm Kingfisher – owner of the B&Q and Screwfix chains – rose more than 6% to 215.9p after it said like-for-like sales jumped 21.8% in the three months to June 13, compared with a year ago. The company was allowed to keep its stores open during lockdown as an “essential” retailer.
AIM-listed fashion retailer Boohoo Group was also up more than 6%, at £4.15, after it snapped up the online businesses of collapsed chains Oasis and Warehouse for £5.3m.