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Investing.com -- British stocks gained on Thursday, while the pound also rose holding above the $1.35 level, and the European Central Bank (ECB) left interest rates unchanged.
The blue-chip index FTSE 100 gained 0.8% and the British GBP/USD increased 0.4% against the dollar to 1.3575.
DAX index in Germany rose 0.3%, the CAC 40 in France gained 0.8%.
ECB holds rates steady as inflation nears target amid growth concerns
ECB kept interest rates unchanged, in line with market expectations, as inflation hovers just above the central bank’s 2% target.
The decision to maintain the deposit rate at 2% comes after the ECB cut rates in June, reducing them from a record high of 4% to the current level in the span of a year.
The central bank has now paused its easing cycle as inflation has largely stabilized near its target following the price surge that occurred after the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
FTSE movers: Trainline soars on raised outlook; THG and Energean strengthen; Londonmetric edges higher
Trainline PLC (LON:TRNT) shares jumped more than 12% after the company raised its annual profit outlook following stronger first-half ticket sales.
Net ticket sales climbed 8% to £3.2 billion in the six months to the end of August, aligning with the company’s full-year target range of 6% to 9%. Group revenue rose 2% to £235 million during the period.
In other market moves, Energean Oil & Gas PLC (LON:ENOG) traded higher after posting stronger first-half earnings and lower operating costs, while cutting its 2025 production guidance due to a suspension in Israel and a delay to new capacity.
The company reported a net profit of $110 million in the first half, exceeding the Visible Alpha consensus of $101 million and Jefferies’ estimate of $104 million.
Adjusted EBITDAX reached $505 million, beating consensus by 13%, while revenue totaled $804 million.
THG Holdings PLC (LON:THG) shares rose more than 6% after the Manchester-based beauty and nutrition group reaffirmed its 2025 earnings outlook and indicated stronger trading momentum for the second half of the year.
The company reported first-half EBITDA of £24 million, down from £37.1 million a year earlier, reflecting a slow start in Beauty and pressure from elevated whey prices in Nutrition.
Londonmetric Property Plc (LON:LMPL) shares also gained after the company acquired £78.5 million of triple net lease assets at an average net initial yield of 5.5%, with returns expected to rise to 6.3% over the next five years.
The acquisitions will add £4.6 million in annual rent across a weighted average unexpired lease term of 23 years. The largest purchase was five Premier Inn hotels acquired from Whitbread for £44.4 million.
In other news, Ryanair Holdings’ (LON:0RYA) CEO stated that airspace incursions like the drone barrage that disrupted Polish flights on Wednesday are "going to be an ongoing issue for all airlines for the next number of years," adding that "we don’t see it as a safety issue, but it’s certainly a disruption issue."
Meanwhile, Merck & Company Inc (NYSE:MRK) is abandoning its early drug research operations in the United Kingdom and canceling plans for a £1 billion research hub in London.
The U.S. pharmaceutical company cited insufficient government investment in the life sciences sector and inadequate payment for new drugs as key reasons for the decision.
Merck will not proceed with occupying a new London building that would have provided jobs for 800 people, despite having signed a long-term lease on the facility in 2022.