FTSE 100 ticks up ahead of ECB meeting

UK's FTSE 100 inched upwards on Thursday as investors moved their focus from hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data to the European Central Bank's interest rate decision later in the day. The internationally exposed FTSE 100 index rose 0.1%, as of 7:15 GMT. The more domestic-oriented FTSE 250 was off 0.1%.

UK's FTSE 100 inched upwards on Thursday as investors moved their focus from hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation data to the European Central Bank's interest rate decision later in the day.

The internationally exposed FTSE 100 index rose 0.1%, as of 7:15 GMT. The more domestic-oriented FTSE 250 was off 0.1%. Industrial metal miners added 1% as copper prices ticked up, supported by firm market fundamentals and a retreat in the U.S. dollar.

Markets expect the European Central Bank (ECB) to maintain its current peak borrowing costs in its monetary policy meeting later in the day, though it could signal that an interest rate cut is coming as soon as June. Among individual stocks, Darktrace surged 8.8% after the cybersecurity company raised its annual revenue and margin forecasts for the third time this year.

Lok'NStore jumped 16.9% after rival Shurgard agreed to acquire the self-storage company in a deal valued at 378 million pounds ($474 million).

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)