(Reuters) – London stocks opened on an upbeat note on Tuesday, with investors eyeing key domestic inflation data and the Bank of England’s policy decision, while losses in Ashtead Group capped gains.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 was up 0.5% at 8,181.64 points as of 7:06 GMT, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 rose 0.6%.
The benchmark has been drifting between the 8,200 and 8,100 levels for the past two weeks, with a steeper decline expected if the index dips below the 8,100 mark.
Meanwhile, investors braced for crucial domestic consumer price index (CPI) data, scheduled for Wednesday, and the closely watched Bank of England policy vote on Thursday.
Among individual stocks, Whitbread gained 2.8% after the Premier Inn owner reiterated its annual forecast.
Ashtead Group was the top loser on the FTSE 100, dropping 3.5% after the equipment rental firm forecast a slower growth in annual group rental revenue for fiscal 2025.
All FTSE 350 sectors were in positive territory on the day.
(Reporting by Pranav Kashyap in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)
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