The FTSE 100 closed down 0.5%, at 7,630.57 on Wednesday ahead of the US Federal Reserve interest rate decision. The FTSE 250 ended up 0.4%, marginally higher, at 19,357.95 and the AIM All-Share closed down -0.04% at 754.75.
In the blue-chip index, housebuilders bucked the downward trend. Taylor Wimpey added 0.5%, Barratt Developments rose 1.2% and Persimmon climbed 0.4%.
Meanwhile, GSK gained 2.0% after reporting pretax profit climbed 7.7% to £6.06 billion in 2023 from £5.63 billion a year prior. Revenue rose 3.4% to £30.33 billion. GSK declared a 16.00 pence per share final dividend, up from 13.75p in Q4 2022, but total dividend fell 5.3% to 58.00p from 61.25p.
In the FTSE 250, Harbour Energy lost 5.4% after Goldman Sachs cut its rating to ‘sell’. Among small caps, Smiths News rose 2.3% after securing contract renewals across 74% of publisher revenue to at least 2029.
On AIM, ITM Power…
