UPDATE 1-AstraZeneca, Smurfit Kappa pull FTSE 100 higher; Darktrace soars on debut

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* AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) rises on earnings beat, higher sales
expectation
* Smurfit Kappa tops FTSE 100 on higher Q1 revenue
* Barclays slips despite Q1 profit of 2.4 billion pounds
* FTSE 100 up 0.2%, FTSE 250 adds 0.2%

(Adds comment, details; updates prices)
By Devik Jain
April 30 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 edged higher on
Friday, boosted by earnings updates from AstraZeneca and Smurfit
Kappa, while optimism around a speedy recovery from pandemic-led
crash set the blue-chip index for its biggest monthly gain since
November 2020.
The FTSE 100 index .FTSE rose 0.2%, with AstraZeneca
AZN.L gaining 3.7% after it forecast higher sales in the
second half of the year. UK-listed shares of Europe's largest paper packaging
producer Smurfit Kappa Group SKG.L jumped 3.8% after it posted
a 6% increase in first-quarter revenue on strong packaging
demand. The index was further supported by tobacco makers British
American Tobacco BATS.L and Imperial Brands IMB.L which rose
more than 2% each after their peer Swedish Match SWMA.ST
reported upbeat quarterly profit. The domestically focused midcap FTSE 250 index .FTMC
advanced 0.2%.
After the U.S. Federal Reserve maintained a status quo on
its monetary policy on Wednesday, investors' focus has now
turned towards Bank of England's meeting on May 6 where it will
likely ease its foot off the stimulus pedal and slow bond
purchases as Britain's economy rebounds. In February, the BoE forecast the economy would grow 5% this
year after slumping by almost 10% in 2020.
"The combination of a shallower Q1 contraction, faster exit
from lockdown, a more supportive near-term fiscal policy, and a
better external backdrop should see the Bank push up its 2021
projections closer to 7% from 5%," wrote Deutsche Bank economist
Sanjay Raja in a note.
"An inevitable growth upgrade would give the monetary policy
committee (MPC) enough ammunition to start QE taper."
Both the UK indexes are on track for their biggest and third
consecutive monthly gains so far this year as earnings recovered
and businesses reopened on the back of speedy vaccine rollouts
and supportive government policies.
Among other stocks, cybersecurity company Darktrace DARK.L
soared 30.9% in its trading debut. However, Barclays BARC.L slipped 5.7% to the bottom of the
FTSE 100 index even as its first quarter profits more than
doubled.