FTSE 100 Gains as European Markets Remain Cautious; United Utilities Surges

The FTSE 100 is up 0.5% on Thursday morning, outperforming a cautious European session in which Germany’s DAX is down 0.2% and France’s CAC 40 has fallen 1.2%. The FTSE 250 is up 0.2%.

Markets are also awaiting interest rate decisions from both the Bank of England and the European Central Bank today, with analysts expecting both to hold rates steady.

United Utilities is the standout performer in the FTSE 100, surging 10.7% after reporting significantly higher profit and revenue in fiscal 2026, lifting its dividend and guiding for revenues of £2.7 billion to £2.8 billion in fiscal 2027.

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The water company also outlined plans for additional regional investment in water and wastewater infrastructure, which it estimates could support a further 4,000 jobs across its supply chain. Fellow water utility Severn Trent is up 5.7% in sympathy.

Rolls-Royce rounds out the top three risers at +5.2%, after the engineer maintained its 2026 guidance of £4.0 billion to £4.2 billion in underlying operating profit, with the chief executive noting a significant recovery in engine flying hours among Middle Eastern airlines.

Weir Group leads the fallers, dropping 7.6% despite a solid first-quarter update with orders up 4% and guidance reiterated, as investors reacted negatively to the announcement that long-serving CEO Jon Stanton will step down on 1 August 2026.

Whitbread is down 4.9% after it announced plans to cut around 3,800 jobs. The is part of the company’s five-year plan for cost savings and overhaul the group. DCC is the other significant faller so far in the session, down 4.7%.