Corporate Gains and BoE Rate Cuts Propel London Stock Surge

London's main stock indexes experienced an uplift driven by strong corporate earnings and economic data, reinforcing speculations of potential Bank of England rate cuts. The FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 climbed, led by gains in the Personal Care and industrial metal miners' sectors. Meanwhile, British businesses reported decelerating growth.

On Thursday, London's primary stock indexes climbed as positive corporate earnings and vital economic data fed expectations of upcoming Bank of England rate cuts. By 1000 GMT, the benchmark FTSE 100 increased by 0.6%, with the domestically-centered FTSE 250 also advancing by 0.2%.

Unilever led the charge with a 3.3% rise, surpassing third-quarter sales forecasts and propelling the Personal Care sector to the forefront as the top sectoral winner. Meanwhile, a 3.8% uptick in Anglo American bolstered the industrial metal miners' sector, following the miner's steadfast copper and diamond output predictions. Heightening oil prices, fueled by Middle East tensions, drove a 1.3% increase in the oil and gas sector, further supporting the benchmark.

However, British businesses noted their slowest growth pace in almost a year, as reflected by the preliminary flash purchasing managers' index dropping to 51.7 in October. Furthermore, markets fully anticipated a Bank of England rate cut at its upcoming November and December meetings, with attention turning to an upcoming speech from BoE's Catherine Mann for more insights on future monetary policy directions.

(With inputs from agencies.)