U.K. stocks climbed on Thursday, while the British pound weakened, following statements from Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey suggesting a potential shift towards a "more aggressive" approach to interest rate cuts, contingent upon continued positive inflation metrics.
In an extensive interview with the Guardian, Bailey indicated the possibility that the Bank might adopt a more assertive strategy with rate reductions.
Additionally, the U.K. Services PMI finalized at 52.4 for September, a decline from August's figure of 53.7.
The main market index, the FTSE 100, rose by 26 points, or 0.3%, reaching 8,317, after a 0.2% increase the previous day.
Shares of British Land Company fell by 0.7% after the property firm announced the acquisition of a portfolio comprising seven retail parks for a sum of 441 million pounds.
Tesco experienced a significant rise of 3.1%. The supermarket group adjusted its annual profit forecast upwards following improved profits and revenues during the first half of the fiscal year.
Telecom Plus saw a 0.7% increase, reporting continued strong growth in customer numbers in its first-half update.
