LONDON: Britain’s FTSE 100 futures contract rose 1.2 percent on Thursday, tracking a rebound in other global stock markets which recovered on the back of effort’s by China’s central bank to slow the sharp descent of the yuan. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on.
The UK blue chip index closed down 1.4 percent at 6,571.19 points on Wednesday.
HSBC, BT and GlaxoSmithKline are among a host of blue-chip stocks going ex-dividend on Thursday, which is expected to take some 34 points off the index.
British house prices rose at their fastest rate in a year last month, and a shortage of homes is likely to push prices even higher over the next year, a body representing property valuers said on Thursday.
British supermarket Sainsbury’s launched a clothing website on Thursday, providing wider access to its Tu collection as it seeks to build on the success it has had from expanding beyond food products in its stores.
British staff recruitment firm Michael Page MPI.L said it would return around 50 million pounds ($78 million) to investors in a special dividend after half-year pretax profit was boosted by strong demand in all of its regions.
Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Group reported lower first-half revenues.
Nomad Foods Ltd is close to acquiring the continental European business operations of frozen food maker Findus Group Ltd FODVT.UL in a deal valued at just over 500 million pounds ($780.6 million), the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
