London stock prices rose on Thursday following an unexpected drop in U.S. jobless claims.
The FTSE 100 index climbed 54.59 points, or 0.5%, closing at 10,238.94. The FTSE 250 increased by 322.67 points, or 1.4%, finishing at 23,279.98, while the AIM All-Share saw a rise of 2.79 points, or 0.4%, ending at 804.48.
London-based asset manager Schroders was the top performer on the FTSE 100, showing a 9.8% increase after predicting an adjusted operating profit of at least £745 million for 2025, a 24% rise from £603.1 million the previous year.
In the FTSE 250, Ashmore led with a 24% surge. The asset manager focused on emerging markets reported $52.5 billion in total assets under management as of December 31, marking a 7.8% increase from $48.7 billion as of September 30.
Dunelm experienced a 20% decline. The homewares retailer reported a 1.6% increase in total sales year-on-year for the 13 weeks ending December 27. However, second-quarter trading was weaker than expected, leading to lowered profit forecasts for financial year 2026.
Regarding currency exchange, the pound traded lower at $1.3388, compared to $1.3450 the previous day. The euro was at $1.1607, and the dollar was trading at 158.48 yen, an increase from 158.25 yen.
