Corrected: UK stocks recover as bond rally lifts risk sentiment

Burberry

03/09/2026 11:24

Corrects first bullet to show 10-year gilt yield fell 5.8 bps, not 29 bps
FTSE 100, FTSE 250 each up 0.1%
Airtel Africa and Vodafone climb 3.3% to 3.8%, leading sectoral gains
Hilton Food jumps 16.7% after raising annual profit forecast
Services sector grows for the second month in August
Sept 3 (Reuters) - The UK's main stock indexes recovered on Thursday as a rally in global bonds ahead of a U.S. jobs report lifted risk sentiment, while firmer commodity prices provided additional support. 
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index .FTSE rose 0.1% to 10,767.57 points by 10:10 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 .FTMC gained 0.1%, rebounding from a nearly one-month low.
Britain's 10-year gilt yields GB10YT=RR eased more than 5.8 basis points from an 18-year high of Wednesday, tracking a rally in global bonds and stocks ahead of U.S. non-farm payrolls data on Friday.
The services sector in the UK grew for the second month in a row in August and confidence rose, a survey showed.  
Rate-sensitive banks .FTNMX301010 rose 0.2%.
Healthcare stocks .FTUB2010 advanced 0.9% higher, supported by weaker sterling, with AstraZeneca AZN.L up 1.3%. 
Precious metal miners .FTNMX551030 gained 0.9% as gold and silver prices rose. GOL
Telecom stocks Airtel Africa AAF.L and Vodafone VOD.L rose between 3.3% and 3.8%, leading sectoral gains.
Luxury retailer Burberry BRBY.L slipped 1.9%, as weak demand prospects weighed on the sector across Europe, sending the broader personal goods sector .FTNMX402040 down 2.2%, leading sectoral losses.
Hilton Food Group HFG.L jumped 16.7%, among the top gainers in the mid-cap index after raising annual profit forecast.
     

 (Reporting by Anand Gopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Ronojoy Mazumdar)
 ((AnandGopal.R@thomsonreuters.com))