FX.co ★ FTSE 100 Trades At Record-High

The FTSE 100 advanced to near-record territory above 10,900 on Wednesday, lifted by robust corporate earnings from several blue-chip constituents. Rio Tinto gained roughly 1.8% after reporting a sharp increase in second-quarter profit and setting out plans to further cut costs and bolster cash generation. Standard Chartered rose nearly 3% as the bank delivered better-than-expected quarterly results and unveiled a new share buyback program. Reckitt was among the top performers, jumping about 7% after quarterly sales beat forecasts, extending the positive tone set by similarly strong results from Unilever. Glencore climbed more than 4% after projecting first-half marketing earnings of around $3.3 billion. Oil majors BP and Shell added over 1% each as Brent crude recovered on renewed geopolitical tensions. In contrast, Aberdeen Group dropped more than 5.5% on weaker first-half fund flows, while St. James’s Place edged 0.5% lower despite reporting stronger-than-expected assets under management and continued net client inflows.