Britain's benchmark index closed at record peak on Thursday as investors cheered a healthy set of corporate updates, while a surge in precious metal miners also boosted the index.

BT and Shell shares are in the spotlight at the start of the FTSE 100 results season. The oil giant boosted shareholder returns despite weaker earnings, while BT shares came under pressure amid disappointing revenue trends.

Britain's benchmark index touched a record high on Thursday as investors cheered a healthy set of corporate updates, while comments by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell also soothed markets. The blue-chip FTSE 100 touched a record-high and is set to log its fourth straight session of gains.

The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were St James’s Place, up 101p to 1,030p, Airtel Africa, up 12p to 145p, Endeavour Mining, up 111p to 1,652p, Fresnillo, up 37.5p to 712.5p, and easyJet, up 20.9p to 511.6p.

WH Smith has reported “strong momentum” in its travel business after sales in the division rose 6% on a like-for-like basis in the 21 weeks to 25 January. This figure included a 7% rise in the UK travel estate and 3% in North America.

Dowlais shares are down about 25% over the past 12 months, as it was caught up in a broader downturn in the car industry.

The UK's main stock indexes closed higher on Wednesday boosted by gains in the technology and financial sectors, while the pound slipped after Finance Minister Rachel Reeves's dovish remarks on resetting ties with the European Union and the United States.

Airtel Africa has put other FTSE stocks in the shade since 1 January, rising by almost a quarter. Can it keep the momentum up though? The post Here’s the FTSE 100’s top performer in 2025! Can it keep flying?

Britain's benchmark index, the FTSE 100, reached a record high as investors reacted positively to strong corporate updates and soothing comments by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Companies like Shell and Watches of Switzerland Group contributed significantly to the index's rise,

European and US markets were in positive territory as investors continue to digest the potential impact of DeepSeek.

The Nasdaq Composite last night closed 3.1% lower after tech industry valuations were shaken by the emergence of China AI chatbot DeepSeek. Chipmaker Nvidia lost 17% or $600 billion of its value, alongside falls of 10% for Arm Holdings and 2% for Microsoft.

(Reuters) - The UK's FTSE 100 stalled on Thursday after touching a record high in the prior session as investors sought clarity on U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies, while shares in CMC Markets tumbled on a disappointing forecast.