FTSE indexes climb on earnings optimism

The UK's main stock indexes, led by the FTSE 100, rose slightly on Thursday, driven by strong earnings from companies such as Persimmon and WPP.

‌The UK's main stock indexes edged higher on Thursday, bucking the weakness in Asian markets, as strong earnings from companies, including Persimmon and WPP, lifted sentiment.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index rose 0.3% to 10,921.64 points by 0942 GMT, while the ‌midcap FTSE 250 climbed 0.1% to 24,663.72 points.