FTSE 100 Climbs Amidst Tariff Concerns and Corporate Optimism

The UK's FTSE 100 rose as positive forecasts from Rolls-Royce and the London Stock Exchange Group supported gains, while other European markets faltered on new U.S. tariff threats. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's meeting with President Trump may address this issue among other topics during his Washington visit.

The FTSE 100 edged higher on Thursday, buoyed by optimistic projections from major corporations such as Rolls-Royce and the London Stock Exchange Group, which helped offset the slump experienced by other European indices facing fresh U.S. tariff threats.

By 1047 GMT, the blue-chip index was up 0.1%, poised for a third consecutive day of gains, as the Europe-wide STOXX 600 fell 0.5% due to pressure on tariff-sensitive stocks following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a 25% 'reciprocal' tariff on cars and goods from the EU.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to discuss tariffs with Trump in Washington, while industry giants Rolls-Royce and the London Stock Exchange Group saw encouraging performance, though WPP suffered significant revenue declines.