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FTSE 100 hits record high on BHP bid for Anglo American, profits push

Britain's benchmark FTSE 100 stock index scored its 3rd successive record high on Thursday, led by miner Anglo American on a buyout deal from BHP Group, while investors cheered incomes from several bluechip companies including Unilever, AstraZeneca and Barclays.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 ended the session up 0.5%,. after striking a fresh all-time high of 8,105.59 points earlier. in the day.

Anglo American rose 16.1% to an more than 10-month. high after BHP made an offer to purchase the London-listed. miner, valuing its share capital at $38.8 billion.

The offer would create the world's biggest copper miner with. around 10% of global output. BHP's London-listed stock,. nevertheless, fell 2.2%.

BHP has a clear idea what it wants from buying Anglo. American-- direct exposure to big, low-priced and long-life possessions in. iron ore, metallurgical coal, potash and copper. Scale matters. in the mining sector and Anglo has the best kind of properties to. keep BHP creating big dollars for years into the future, stated. Dan Coatsworth, financial investment analyst at AJ Bell.

The FTSE 350 commercial metal miners index. rose 2.0% on the news.

The pharma and biotech index was the top. sectoral entertainer, increasing 3.9%, led by a 5.9% dive in. AstraZeneca shares after the drugmaker reported. quarterly profits and earnings above market price quotes.

The personal care, drug and supermarket. index followed with a 3.1% increase, supported by a 5.7% increase in. Unilever shares after the consumer goods business posted. better-than-expected first-quarter sales development.

Barclays climbed 6.7% as the lending institution's very first quarter. trading was much better than expected regardless of a 12% fall in earnings.

On the flipside, the mid-cap FTSE 250 fell 0.6%,. with WH Smith sliding 6% after the British high street. and travel hub seller flagged lower growth at start of the. second half.

Meanwhile, data showed British merchants suffered their. worst April for sales given that 2020, when the nation was in its. initially COVID-19 lockdown.