The internationally oriented FTSE 100 fell 0.2% as of 0943 GMT, while the domestically focused midcap FTSE 250 index was up 0.2%
International News via Reuters:
London’s main stock indexes were mixed on Wednesday as investors assessed a slew of corporate earnings ahead of the U.S. President Donald Trump’s August 1 tariff deadline.
The internationally oriented FTSE 100 fell 0.2% as of 0943 GMT, while the domestically focused midcap FTSE 250 index was up 0.2%.
Automobiles and parts stocks led the decline, down 2.1%, as Aston Martin lost 3.7% after the luxury carmaker issued a profit warning due to U.S. import tariffs and weak Chinese demand.
Meanwhile, personal goods index advanced the most with a 1.3% rise.
Among corporate updates, Taylor Wimpey lost 4.6%, the top loser in the FTSE 100 index, after the homebuilder cut its annual operating profit forecast.
HSBC Holdings fell 2.7% after a sharper-than-expected drop in profit due to losses in China.
Rio Tinto edged 0.7% down after its smallest first-half underlying profit in five years.
Sportswear retailer JD Sports fell 1.6% after its partner Adidas missed second-quarter sales expectations and flagged tariff costs.
Defence firm BAE Systems fell 2.3% despite upgrading its annual earnings forecast.
RHI Magnesita dropped 12.8%, the top loser on the FTSE 250 midcap index, after cutting its annual profit outlook.
In a bright spot, Glencore said it aims to save $1 billion in costs by the end of 2026, as part of a review of its industrial assets. Shares of the miner rose 1.8%.
Bodycote jumped 12.3%, the top gainer in the FTSE 250 midcap index, after the thermal processing services provider announced an additional 30 million pounds ($40 mln) share buyback.
GSK expects annual sales and profit to be towards the top of its forecast range, after quarterly sales and earnings beat expectations. Shares of the drugmaker rose 1%.
In the U.S., the Federal Reserve is expected to leave interest rates unchanged at its policy meeting later on Wednesday.
The Bank of England is expected to cut borrowing costs on August 7 for the fifth time since August last year.
Reporting by Sukriti Gupta in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore
