London Market Report
- Published
(Close): Shares on London's main stock market turned higher by the close, after opening lower.
The FTSE index was up 23.31 points to 6821.46.
Shares in the DIY group Kingfisher were the biggest fallers, down more than 8% after worse than expected second quarter earnings.
Shares in the budget airline group EasyJet also fell, down about 5%, after its profit forecast failed to meet investor expectations.
The group predicts pre-tax profit for the year to September to be between £545m and £570m.
"We think that this outlook statement adds to investor unease that consensus forecasts have generally run ahead," said Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Robin Byde.
Kingfisher said the distraction of the World Cup and weaker trading in France and Poland had hurt trading.
"Our markets in the second quarter, notably in June, have been slower than anticipated particularly in France and Poland," admitted Kingfisher's chief executive Sir Ian Cheshire.