Amid cautious investor sentiment ahead of the Federal Reserve Chair’s speech in search of hints about the trajectory of the U.S. Central bank’s rate hikes, the FTSE 100 edged higher, helped by consumer discretionary and energy stocks.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) was up 0.4% as of 1018 GMT, and it was on track to have its best month in two years. The domestically focused FTSE 250 midcap index (.FTMC) increased 0.2%.
Following the introduction of “overweight” coverage of the automaker by Barclays, shares of Rolls-Royce (RR.L) increased 1.6%, helping the broader automotive (.FTNMX401010) sector gain 3%.
With a 1.9% increase following JP Morgan’s raising of the stock’s price target, Flutter Entertainment (FLTRF.L) was one of the consumer discretionary sector’s top gainers.