The FTSE 100 index closed up 83.88 points, 0.8%, at 10,835.47.
asserted
index → close → 10,835.47
The FTSE 250 ended 178.39 points higher, 0.7%, at 24,925.04, and the AIM all-share added 4.75 points, 0.6%, at 764.29.
asserted
AIM → end → 764.29
In Europe, the CAC 40 in Paris rose 0.7%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt climbed 1.2%.
asserted
DAX → rise → Frankfurt
Around the time of the London equities close on Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.1%, the S&P 500 was 1.2% higher, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.9%.
asserted
Composite → jump → Wednesday
US technology stocks rallied after well-received results from CoreWeave and ahead of Anthropic’s initial public offering which is likely next week.
asserted
which → rally → offering
Shares in neo-cloud CoreWeave leapt 24% after it reported results ahead of guidance, raised its outlook and looked to assuage financing concerns when it delivered third quarter results after the US equity market close on Tuesday.
asserted
it → leap → Tuesday
“We feel confident in our ability to fund our business for growth even in the current macroeconomic conditions,” chief financial officer Nitin Agrawal told analysts on the earnings call following the earnings.
asserted
Agrawal → feel → earnings
“We are not a growth at all cost business,” he added.
asserted
he → add → ?
David Morrison, analyst at Trade Nation, said the news provided “welcome relief for AI-adjacent companies, and investors, amid a difficult period”.
asserted
news → say → period
Chip makers Nvidia, Advanced Micro Devices and Intel were all in demand, up 4.5%, 7.1% and 8.5% respectively, while computer memory and data storage firm Micron Technology leapt 12%.
asserted
Technology → leap → demand
In London, technology investor Polar Capital Technology Trust ended up 4.0% and Computacenter, which has a major data centre and IT infrastructure business, advanced 4.7%.
asserted
which → end → centre
Elsewhere, the dollar continued to gain ground after Tuesday’s hot US inflation print and a bunch of “hawkish” words from Federal Reserve officials.
asserted
dollar → continue → officials
After Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller told a conference in London on Tuesday that he was minded to vote for a 50 basis point rate hike in December should inflation continue to rise, other Fed officials took to the airwaves.
asserted
officials → tell → airwaves
Read More
Dallas Fed president Lorie Logan said two quick 25-basis point rate hikes were needed, Philadelphia Fed president Anna Paulson said she wants gradual rate hikes and Chicago Fed president Austan Goolsbee warned of a “real inflation issue”.
asserted
Goolsbee → read → issue
Goldman Sachs added another 25-basis point rate hike to its forecast for March next year, having already pencilled in an increase of the same size at the December meeting.
asserted
Sachs → add → meeting
A “hike could come earlier in January, but we think March is a bit more likely because we expect the November and December inflation reports to be softer but then expect larger start-of-the-year price increases amidst ongoing cost pressures to boost inflation in January”, Goldman analysts wrote.
uncertain
analysts → come → January
The pound was quoted at 1.3284 dollars late Wednesday afternoon, down from 1.3323 dollars at the same time on Tuesday.
asserted
pound → quote → Tuesday
Against the euro, sterling firmed to 1.1974 euros from 1.1949 euros.
asserted
sterling → firm → euros
US bond markets are closed Wednesday in observance of Veterans’ Day.
asserted
markets → close → Day
Meanwhile, oil prices moved higher after Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei threatened on Wednesday to strike US bases beyond the Middle East, including in Europe, if they were used for attacks against the Islamic republic.
“If American aircraft take off from an American military base, even one located in a European country or some other distant region, to bomb Iran, we will strike those bases as well,” Mr Rezaei said in an interview with Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen TV.
asserted
Rezaei → move → TV
The oil price had fallen sharply since the US midterm elections on hopes that an agreement between the US and Iran can be reached.
asserted
agreement → fall → US
Brent oil was trading at 94.03 dollars a barrel on Wednesday, higher than 91.74 dollars late Tuesday.
asserted
oil → trade → dollars
The gains supported BP, up 2.7%, and Ithaca Energy, up 2.1%.
asserted
gains → support → BP
In London, Bloomberg reported that the UK Government is unwilling to accept automatic alignment of British financial services regulations with those of the EU, citing UK officials.
asserted
Government → report → officials
Under the proposed mechanism, the UK would automatically adopt EU regulations in certain sectors.
asserted
UK → propose → sectors
However, Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government is seeking to preserve the City of London’s regulatory independence and does not want financial services included in any such arrangement.
asserted
services → seek → arrangement
The Labour Government is negotiating closer ties with the EU, potentially including regulatory alignment in areas such as agriculture and energy.
asserted
Government → negotiate → agriculture
However, British officials have told their European counterparts that extending the arrangement to financial services is a red line, according to people familiar with the discussions cited by Bloomberg.
uncertain
extending → tell → Bloomberg
On the FTSE 100, Spirax gained 3.6% after reiterating its full-year guidance, supported by stronger organic sales growth and improved profit margins.
asserted
Spirax → gain → growth
The thermal energy and fluid technology specialist said organic sales growth and adjusted operating profit margin in the four months to October 31 improved compared with the first half, while performance for the first 10 months of 2026 remained in line with expectations.
asserted
performance → say → expectations
On the FTSE 250, Asos soared 6.9% as Investec upgraded the retailer to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’, while Funding Circle rose a further 6.8%, after Tuesday’s raised guidance.
asserted
Circle → soar → guidance
Heading south, Taylor Wimpey fell 4.5% as it guided for full-year adjusted operating profit at the bottom end of the consensus range, and trimmed its completions outlook, after a “subdued” autumn selling season.
“The housing market has remained challenging during the autumn selling season with increasing mortgage rates placing further pressure on affordability during this period,” the High Wycombe-based housebuilder said in a trading statement.
asserted
housebuilder → head → statement
RBC Capital Markets analyst Anthony Codling said: “Mortgage rates are doing to Taylor Wimpey what build cost inflation did in 2022: eroding the demand just as the supply is rising.”
“Outlets are up, strategic conversion has surged, but demand is down – it’s all dressed up with nowhere to sell,” he added.
ITV fell 3.5% as it said it was cutting costs by £30 million after reporting lower-than-forecast advertising sales in its third quarter.
ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said demand for advertising in the second half of 2026 has weakened.
“This is due to continuing broader macroeconomic uncertainty, increased digital advertising on global streaming platforms and the impact of less healthy food regulations which came into effect on October 1 2025,” she explained.
asserted
she → say → October
The latter includes a ban on advertising identifiable less-healthy food and drink products on TV and on-demand programme services between 5.30am and 9pm.
asserted
latter → include → 5.30am
Gold was quoted at 4,000.66 dollars an ounce on Wednesday, lower than 4,025.90 dollars on Tuesday.
asserted
Gold → quote → Tuesday
Thursday’s global economic events calendar has UK gross domestic product, industrial production, manufacturing production and trade figures.
asserted
calendar → have → product
This is followed by US initial jobless claims and existing home sales data.
uncertain
This → follow → claims
Thursday’s local corporate calendar has half-year results from luxury goods brand Burberry, water provider United Utilities and private equity and infrastructure investment firm 3i Group.
asserted
calendar → have → Burberry
The Aporia
