FX.co ★ FTSE 100 Rises As Consumer Sentiment Strengthens In April

On Friday, UK stocks saw a surge following the release of a monthly survey by market research group GfK. It showed that British consumer sentiment had taken a turn for the better in April. Factors contributing to this improvement included a decrease in inflation and expectations of future tax reductions.

In comparison to the -21 score in March, the consumer confidence index rose to -19 in April. This increase turned out higher than the -20 forecast by economists. Out of the five indices of consumer confidence, four showed an upward trend while one remained unchanged from March.

The FTSE 100 benchmark increased by 31 points, or 0.4 percent, standing at 8,110 subsequent to an addition of half a percent on Thursday.

However, the mining behemoth, Anglo American, witnessed a minor slump after declining BHP's takeover bid. Meanwhile, Natwest experienced a 4.6 percent boost as it reported a decrease in income and profit in the first quarter that was slightly less significant than anticipated.

Engineering company Senior Plc also witnessed approximately 1 percent rise in their shares post-reporting an increase in their Q1 revenue, as well as a reinforcement of their full-year guidance. On the other hand, Pearson's shares fell by 1.7 percent following their report of a subdued growth in their total underlying sales for the first quarter.