Thursday Morning Markets: FTSE Lower, Brent Tops $98 on Red Sea Tanker Attacks; Segro Jumps

London stocks have drifted lower on Thursday morning with the FTSE 100 down 0.1% and the FTSE 250 off 0.2%, while the continent was weaker still, with Germany’s DAX down 0.5%, France’s CAC 40 off 0.8% and the Euro Stoxx 50 declining 0.6%.

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Brent crude has surged another 4.2% to around $98 a barrel after Yemen’s Houthis said they had attacked two Saudi oil tankers for breaching their naval blockade…

Saudi state media confirmed a fire aboard one of the tankers. U.S. Central Command said it had completed a 12th successive round of strikes on Iran.

On the economic calendar, traders now await today’s ECB rate decision.

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Segro (LON: SGRO) leads the FTSE 100, up 6.77%, after Prologis lodged a “best and final” offer and Segro said it would be minded to recommend it, having secured an extension to the takeover deadline.

It has been a busy day of trading updates and results so far…

Anglo American (LON: AAL) has risen 5.41% on its second-quarter production report, while 3i (LON: III) gained 5.21% after posting a 3% first-quarter total return, driven by 14% sales growth at Dutch discounter Action.

Meanwhile, BP (LON: BP.) has added 2.39% and Shell 1.4% on the oil move, with RELX (LON: REL) up 1.96% after interim results showed earnings up 11% and a 7% dividend increase.

Centrica (LON: CNA) has fallen 3.42% despite a 9% interim dividend hike, with first-half EBITDA of £737 million and management conceding progress was slower than hoped.

Whitbread (LON: WTB) has dropped 3.14% following news of a directorate change, and SSE (LON: SSE) has lost 2.85%.

BT (LON: BT.A) reported first-quarter pre-tax profit down 4% to £505 million but held full-year guidance.

easyJet (LON: EZJ) has risen 5.74% in the FTSE 250 even as third-quarter profit slumped 70% to £85 million on a 17% jump in fuel costs, with takeover interest underpinning the shares.