Investing.com — British stocks extended losses on Thursday after the Bank of England held rates at 3.75% as expected, while the pound edged higher and oil prices climbed amid escalating Middle East tensions.
The blue-chip index fell 2.4% and the rose 0.9% to 1.3380.
index in Germany dropped 2.8%, the in France fell 2%.
Other market updates
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell struck a hawkish tone, signaling that inflation needs to ease further before any rate cuts are considered, dampening hopes for a near-term policy pivot. The Bank of Japan left interest rates unchanged overnight, with one member dissenting.
The ECB is widely expected to keep interest rates on hold on Thursday, in line with decisions from BoE and several other central banks on Wednesday. This would extend a broader pause in policy moves among global policymakers.
Iran latest updates
Geopolitical tensions intensified after Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field, triggering retaliatory attacks by Iran on energy infrastructure in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Tehran has also flagged additional Gulf energy facilities as potential targets, as prices surged following the strike on the Iranian side of the world’s largest natural gas field.
By 08:49 ET (12:49 GMT), Brent crude futures had surged 5.3% to $113.09 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 1.7% to $97.07. Meanwhile, European natural gas prices also jumped sharply, with the Dutch TTF benchmark for next-day delivery climbing 19.4%.
UK round up
LSL Property Services (LSE:LSL) on Thursday reported fiscal year 2025 underlying operating profit of £32.6 million, meeting analyst expectations of £32.2 million, while maintaining its outlook for additional profit growth in fiscal 2026.
The property services group posted a return on capital employed of 35% and net cash of £27.8 million for the year ended 2025. The company declared a total dividend of 11.4 pence per share. In January, LSL announced a £12 million share buyback program.
(LON:DFS) maintained its full-year profit guidance of £43-50 million despite reporting some softening in customer footfall linked to adverse weather conditions since the half-year period ended.
The furniture retailer reported first-half revenue of £547.7 million, up 8.6% from the prior year period, with pre-tax profit rising 82% to £31 million, in line with its January update.
(XETRA:SGL) reported weak fourth-quarter results on Thursday but issued fiscal year 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance with a midpoint standing approximately 8% above consensus.
Fourth-quarter 2025 sales reached €197.3 million, down 19.3% year-over-year and 1% below the consensus estimate of €199 million. The decline primarily reflected the restructuring of the Carbon Fibers business unit, which has now been completed, as well as persistently weak demand in key end markets including semiconductors and automotive.
UK window and door manufacturer reported a 13% year-on-year increase in preliminary 2025 revenue on Thursday, driven primarily by its acquisition of Alunet.
The company’s adjusted operating profit grew 6% for the year, while adjusted pretax profit declined 5% to £19 million due to higher finance costs.
reported 2025 revenue of $229.90 million, surpassing the consensus estimate of $224.92 million from five analysts.
The UK-based base metals miner posted a net loss for the year after recording a $117.8 million impairment charge at its Sasa mine. The company reported adjusted free cash flow of $56 million and EBITDA of $101.80 million, representing a 44% EBITDA margin.
UK mining services firm reported a 318% jump in net profit after tax for 2025, driven primarily by substantial gains from its investment portfolio, the company said on Thursday.
The firm posted net profit of $71 million for the fiscal year, while revenue edged down 0.6%. Adjusted EBITDA rose 1.1% as the company’s core business performance showed signs of softening.