UK's FTSE 100 closes at seven-week high on fiscal reassurance, defensive buying

London's blue-chip ​stocks closed at a seven-week high on Thursday ​after the finance minister reaffirmed the ‌government's ​commitment to fiscal discipline, while a shift into defensive sectors amid a deepening global selloff in AI-related stocks also supported the benchmark. The benchmark ‌FTSE 100 index closed higher by 1.1% to 10,840.35 points, its highest since August 26, while the midcap FTSE 250 also rose 0.26%.