Oct 26 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 closed higher on Monday as Anthropic's US IPO filing lifted sentiment toward AI stocks, while investors awaited finance minister John Healey's first budget and the US Federal Reserve's policy decision.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index ended up 0.7% at 10,767.33 points, while the midcap FTSE 250 rose 1.09% to 24,501.25, in its biggest one-day jump since October 9.
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Wall Street shares climbed as tech stocks advanced after Anthropic's IPO filing lifted sentiment following a recent selloff over concerns about debt-fueled AI infrastructure spending
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Energy stocks fell 0.8%, pulling back from Friday's record high, with Shell and BP down 0.8% and 1.2%, respectively
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Rolls-Royce Holdings rose 6.1% and BAE Systems added 4.1% in a broader rebound in aerospace and defence shares
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British 20-year government bond yields fell to a one-month low two days before finance minister Healey's first budget announcement, with expectations that it will prioritise bond market stability and offer fresh direction on the government's fiscal strategy
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The Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting on Wednesday will also be watched for clues on the central bank's interest rate trajectory. It is largely expected to hold rates at this meeting
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Data last week showed UK inflation rose more than expected, cementing the case for an interest rate hike from the Bank of England in November
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Corporate earnings will also be scrutinized to see how companies are faring in the uncertain geopolitical and interest rate environment
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Computacenter rose 13%, leading FTSE 100 gainers after the technology services provider raised its fiscal 2026 adjusted pre-tax profit forecast
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3i Group rose 2.9% after the private equity group's portfolio company Future Biogas agreed to acquire the remaining 49% stake in six UK anaerobic digestion plants for £104 million ($138.91 million)
($1 = 0.7487 pounds)
Reporting by Darshan Kumar and Purvi Agarwal in Bengaluru; Editing by Jochelle Mendonca and Shailesh Kuber
Source: Reuters