UK stocks climb as markets cheer upbeat earnings, Fed comments

(Reuters) – Britain’s main equity indexes rose on Thursday, catching up with an overnight rally on Wall Street , while strong results from blue-chip companies Shell and Diageo added to the upbeat mood. The main FTSE 100 index gained 0.2% to hit seven-week highs, while the domestically focussed midcap index added 0.7%. Asian and European stocks markets echoed an upbeat sentiment on Wall Street on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates as expected, but eased some concerns over the pace of rate hikes going forward. [.N] Shares of Shell gained 0.9%, as the oil major reporte…

Read More