The FTSE 100 opened 56.82 points lower at 10,820.55 as eyes turned toward Jackson Hole and Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, after robust US inflation data on Wednesday.
Brent crude futures fell 1.56% to USD 86.47 per barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) declined 1.84% to USD 80.72 per barrel.
Sterling was quoted at USD 1.3588 early Thursday, slightly lower than USD 1.3590 at the London equities close on Wednesday. Against the euro, sterling fell to EUR 1.1654 from EUR 1.1669 a day prior.
Gainers & Losers
On the upside, Computacenter climbed 3.74% to 5,410p. Polar Capital Technology Trust advanced 1.32% to 651.50p, while Metlen Energy & Metals gained 1.15% to EUR 49.40. IG Group Holdings rose 0.93% to 1,406p, Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust added 0.92% to 1,480.50p, and Halma increased 0.89% to 3,648p.
On the downside, Croda International fell 2.02% to 3,395p. Games Workshop Group declined 1.54% to 18,510p, while Rio Tinto dropped 1.22% to 7,628p. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners slipped 0.93% to 8,010p, AstraZeneca lost 0.49% to 12,174p, and Next edged 0.42% lower to 15,590p.
Prudential Profit Jumps
Prudential recorded USD 1.38 billion in new business profit in the first half of 2026, around 8% higher than the previous year, as the insurer benefited from growth across Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
This was also broadly in line with the market consensus of USD 1.39 billion. Hong Kong served as a strong driver of momentum, growing 8% to USD 581 million, while Malaysia was up 46% to USD 70 million. China saw a 4% decline to USD 159 million after a shift in sales towards lower-profit products.
Halfords Lifts Profit Target
Halfords said it lifted its profit targets in response to 'very strong' recent sales. The firm had previously forecast GBP 52.6 million in pre-tax profit this year but said on Thursday that it now hopes to make between GBP 55 million and GBP 65 million.
The group said it has 'outperformed' in recent months, led by higher-than-expected sales in its summer ranges.
Halfords will invest some of this extra cash into its tech and marketing departments, it said, meaning that its full-year performance will be weighted towards the first half.
NVIDIA Reported Results
NVIDIA reported revenue for the second quarter ended July 26, 2026, of USD 96.2 billion, up 18% from the previous quarter and up 106% from a year ago.
During the second quarter of fiscal 2027, NVIDIA returned approximately USD 26 billion to shareholders via share repurchases and cash dividends.
NVIDIA will pay its next quarterly cash dividend of USD 0.25 per share on October 1, 2026, to all shareholders of record on September 10, 2026.
Stock Market Update: Nifty 50 Opened 0.20% Higher, Sensex Climbed 103.82 points
Global Market View
In the US, Wall Street closed modestly lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing 0.2%, the Nasdaq Composite falling 0.1% and the S&P 500 edging down.
In Asia on Thursday, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell 0.2% to 66,131.98, while China's Shanghai Composite gained 1.13%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 0.37%, and South Korea's Kospi surged 1.53%. In India, both the Nifty 50 and the Sensex declined by 0.2% and 0.22%, respectively.