Trump seeking economic deal with China as fresh trade talks loom- WSJ
Investing.com -- British stocks gained on Wednesday, boosted by investor sentiment and trade optimism following the latest trade deal between the U.S. and Japan.
The blue-chip index FTSE 100 rose 0.4% and the British pound gained 0.2% against the dollar to 1.3554.
DAX index in Germany rose 0.9%, the CAC 40 in France gained nearly 1.4%.
Latest trade deal
U.S. President Donald Trump said that his administration has finalized a "massive deal" with Japan that will impose a 15% tariff on Japanese exports.
As part of the agreement, Japan will invest $550 billion into the United States, with Trump stating that the U.S. will "receive 90% of the Profits" from this investment.
Fresnillo (LON:FRES) silver output misses estimates
Fresnillo reported second-quarter silver production of 12.5 million ounces, falling 4% short of the consensus estimate of 13.1 million ounces.
The company’s shares dipped 0.3% in London trading.
Despite the silver miss, stronger performance in the gold segment, particularly at Herradura and San Julian, offset the shortfall, with total silver equivalent volumes coming in 4% above expectations, according to RBC Capital Markets.
Breedon Lowers Full-Year Guidance
In other market news, Breedon Group (LON:BREE) cut its full-year earnings outlook after reporting a weaker first half of 2025.
The construction materials company now expects full-year EBITDA to be at the lower end of its projected range, guiding to £291.4 million.
Shares closed 7% lower.
JD Wetherspoon sees consistent sales growth
JD Wetherspoon (LON:JDW) reported like-for-like sales growth of 5.1% for the first 12 weeks of its fourth quarter, maintaining consistent momentum as it approaches its July year-end.
The pub chain said year-to-date like-for-like sales also increased by 5.1%, continuing the trend seen in the previous quarter when sales rose 5.6% for the 13 weeks to April 27.
Informa raises guidance
Informa PLC (LON:INF) reported strong first-half results on Wednesday, raising its full-year revenue growth guidance despite posting a statutory loss due to a non-cash impairment charge.
The international events and academic publishing group saw its shares surge over 5% following the announcement.
The company reported a 20.1% increase in revenue to £2.04 billion for the first half of 2025, while underlying revenue grew 7.8%.