UK stocks struggled to find momentum Thursday, even as bank shares rose after the US Federal Reserve hinted at an interest-rate rise and outlined plans to begin winding down its bond buys, MarketWatch reports.
The FTSE 100 index was up less than one point at 7,272.64 after opening slightly lower. The financial, oil and gas, and industrial groups rose, while utility, basic materials and consumer-related shares were among decliners. On Wednesday, the London blue-chip benchmark closed down 0.1%.
