FTSE 100 Edges Higher On Strong Earnings
(RTTNews) - U.K. stocks traded higher Friday on the back of encouraging earnings results from the likes of NatWest, Standard Chartered and AstraZeneca.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 19 points, or 0.2 percent, at 7,711 after rising 0.2 percent on Thursday.
AstraZeneca shares jumped nearly 4 percent after the drug maker delivered better-than-expected profits and sales in the second quarter.
Also, its unit Alexion has agreed to buy Pfizer's early-stage rare disease gene therapy portfolio for up to $1 billion.
Lender Standard Chartered soared more than 6 percent after posting better-than-expected first-half earnings and announcing a new $1 billion share buyback.
NatWest Group advanced 1.7 percent after reporting a jump in first-half profit, benefiting from higher interest rates.
British-Airways owner IAG rallied 3.6 percent after quarterly profit beat analyst forecasts.
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