Market Analysis

The FTSE 100 index of Britain reached an all-time high on Wednesday, boosted by Experian's optimistic revenue forecast for the year ahead. Investors kept a close eye on the upcoming U.S. consumer price index data, seeking clues about potential interest rate adjustments by the Federal Reserve.

As of 0715 GMT, the FTSE 100 was up by 0.5%, reaching a record peak of 8,474.41 points at the start of trading, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 also saw a modest rise of 0.3%.

Experian, a credit data company, experienced the most significant gain, surging by 8.3% after announcing its projection of 6% to 8% annual organic revenue growth for the fiscal year 2025.

Investor attention was particularly focused on the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) report scheduled for release at 1230 GMT, as it would provide insights into the Fed's potential timeline for interest rate adjustments.

Market sentiment received a boost following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's recent remarks reiterating the central bank's inclination towards maintaining current interest rates rather than increasing them.

However, there were notable losers among the FTSE 100 companies. Burberry experienced a 3.7% decline after reporting a 34% decrease in annual operating profit for the luxury brand.

Similarly, Compass Group witnessed a 2.3% drop despite its first-half profit slightly exceeding market expectations in the catering sector.

Paraphrasing text from "Reuters" all rights reserved by the original author.