Energy, consumer staples stocks boost FTSE 100; Bloomsbury jumps

London's FTSE 100 index edged higher on Wednesday, helped by gains in heavyweight energy and consumer staples stocks, while Bloomsbury Publishing jumped following a strong earnings update. The domestically focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index advanced 0.3%, touching a record high. Bloomsbury Publishing added 5.5% as the Harry Potter publisher declared a special dividend and lifted targets for the current year, after strong book sales during lockdowns drove a 22% surge in its annual earnings.

London's FTSE 100 index edged higher on Wednesday, helped by gains in heavyweight energy and consumer staples stocks, while Bloomsbury Publishing jumped following a strong earnings update. The blue-chip index rose 0.5%, with oil majors BP and Royal Dutch Shell climbing 0.7% and 1% respectively, on higher crude prices.

Large dollar-earning consumer staples companies including Reckitt Benckiser Group, Diageo, and Unilever provided the biggest boost to the index. The domestically focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index advanced 0.3%, touching a record high.

Bloomsbury Publishing added 5.5% as the Harry Potter publisher declared a special dividend and lifted targets for the current year after strong book sales during lockdowns drove a 22% surge in its annual earnings.

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