The blue-chip index opened slightly higher today, boosted by a few sets of strong results. AstraZeneca beat expectations for profit and revenue in the first quarter, thanks to strong sales in emerging markets.
Barclays rose 4% after posting better-than-expected profits, led by its credit card business, while Unilever climbed 1.4% also after posting results that exceeded forecasts.
However, shares of Capricorn Energy were down after it posted an operating loss for the full year.
Things to read today:
First Republic Bank Is a Problem With No Easy Solution (WSJ)
Bank of England Shows ECB How To Shrink a Balance Sheet (Bloomberg)
Microsoft boss: Activision Blizzard deal block is bad for Britain (BBC)