{"id":113027,"date":"2021-04-28T08:54:28","date_gmt":"2021-04-28T08:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=113027"},"modified":"2021-04-28T08:54:28","modified_gmt":"2021-04-28T08:54:28","slug":"lloyds-wpp-pull-ftse-100-higher-ahead-of-fed-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/lloyds-wpp-pull-ftse-100-higher-ahead-of-fed-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"Lloyds, WPP pull FTSE 100 higher ahead of Fed decision"},"content":{"rendered":"
(Reuters) -London\u2019s FTSE 100 climbed on Wednesday, boosted by a series of positive earnings updates from companies, including Lloyds Banking Group and WPP, while investors awaited the outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve\u2019s policy meeting.<\/p> The blue-chip index rose 0.4%, with Lloyds Banking Group jumping 3.4% to the top of the index after Britain\u2019s biggest domestic bank reported upbeat profit for the first three months of the year.<\/p>\n The wider banking index also added 1%, with Barclays and Natwest Group among the biggest gainers ahead of their earnings reports this week.<\/p>\n WPP gained 2.8% after the world\u2019s biggest advertising company said its underlying net sales returned to growth ahead of target as clients started to spend to prepare for the global economic recovery.<\/p>\n \u201cThe economy did much better than I expected and this is also being reflected in earnings. It shows that consumers and businesses have clearly found the race around the economic restrictions,\u201d said Stefan Koopman, a senior market economist at Rabobank.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s quite some savings that could be spent this year … and could set the economic recovery in motion. So, that\u2019s good news for UK companies clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier this week, Goldman Sachs said it expects Britain\u2019s economy to grow by a \u201cstriking\u201d 7.8% this year, faster than the United States.<\/p>\n The FTSE 100 has gained 7.8% year-to-date on optimism that speedy COVID-19 vaccinations and constant policy support from the government would drive a stronger economic recovery.<\/p>\n The domestically focussed mid-cap FTSE 250 index advanced 0.5%.<\/p>\n Among other stocks, homebuilder Persimmon added 2.4% after saying it expects first-half volumes to return to 2019 levels as the sector benefits from government support measures and low interest rates.<\/p>\n The wider homebuilders index also rose 2%.<\/p>\n Investors\u2019 focus has now turned towards the U.S. central bank, which is expected to reaffirm its accommodative monetary policy stance at the end of its two-day meeting and dismiss any suggestions of tapering bond purchases.<\/p>\n