The FTSE 100 climbed to another record high on Thursday, extending its recent rally as investors continued to favour London’s heavyweight energy, banking and defensive stocks.
The blue-chip index rose 0.58% to 10,972.06, having earlier touched a new all-time intraday high of 10,978.87, surpassing Wednesday’s previous record of 10,951.06.
The gains came despite ongoing uncertainty surrounding global interest rates, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and continued volatility in US technology shares.
The FTSE 250 also traded higher, gaining 0.49% to 24,114.09, reflecting broader strength across the UK market.
London has continued to outperform many international markets in recent sessions, supported by rising oil prices, resilient corporate earnings and renewed investor demand for value-oriented sectors.
With the FTSE 100 reaching another record intraday high ahead of the Bank of England’s interest rate decision, analysts are increasingly focused on whether the index can break through the 11,000-point level.
