(Reuters) -British stocks rose on Wednesday as investors weighed mixed corporate results, with the main indexes poised to close out a volatile month, almost recovering from losses triggered by disruptive U.S. trade policies.
As of 1009 GMT, the blue-chip FTSE 100 index edged up 0.1%, on track for its thirteenth consecutive winning session.
The domestically focused midcap index advanced 0.7% and was heading for its sixth straight session of gains.
Despite recovering most losses from steep tariffs announced earlier this month, the FTSE 100 remains poised to post a monthly decline.
Markets have recently stabilized on optimism about U.S. trade deals, particularly with China, although details remain limited, with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick mentioning a first deal with a foreign power.
GSK climbed 4.1% after the drugmaker reaffirmed its outlook for 2025 and said it was “well positioned” to mitigate any hit from potential sector-specific tariffs.
Genus jumped 28.3% and was the best performer on the midcap index as the animal protein genetics firm said U.S. FDA approved PRP (PRRS-resistant pig) gene edit for use in the U.S. food supply chain.
The healthcare index gained 2%.
Conversely, industrial metal miners were the biggest drag on FTSE 100 as commodity trader and miner Glencore dropped 6% after reporting a 30% drop in first-quarter copper production.
Other miners like Anglo American, Antofagasta also fell over 3% each and were among the worst performers on the blue-chip index.
Barclays booked a stronger-than-expected increase in first-quarter profit but its shares were down 1.6%, with the bank index shedding 2.8%.
On the economic front, British house prices fell 0.6% in April, their largest monthly decline in over 18 months, as a property transaction discount ended, according to mortgage lender Nationwide data.
Among other earnings-related moves, medical products maker Smith+Nephew advanced 6.8% after it maintained full-year sales and profit margin forecasts.
(Reporting by Ragini Mathur in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
