FX.co ★ UK Stocks Finish Higher

London’s FTSE 100 reversed early losses to finish about 0.5% higher at 10,572 on Thursday, as investors digested a wave of corporate updates and domestic economic data while keeping a close watch on ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Solid gains among industrial stocks offset weakness in miners and technology shares. Rotork jumped more than 60% after agreeing to a £4.1 billion takeover by Swiss engineering group ABB, boosting sentiment across the industrial engineering space and pushing shares of Weir Group, IMI, Spirax Group, Smiths Group, and DCC higher. Diploma advanced more than 6% after lifting its margin guidance and projecting stronger-than-expected organic revenue growth. In contrast, Ocado slumped over 10% following disappointing full-year results, while Experian (-1%) and Trustpilot (-10.7%) also declined after their trading updates. Frasers Group slipped 1.9% as it reported a 4% fall in annual adjusted pre-tax profit and withheld full-year guidance, citing ongoing takeover activity and a tough consumer backdrop.