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* FTSE 100 rises 0.4%, FTSE 250 adds 0.4%
Oct 23 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 rose on Friday after
Barclays posted an upbeat quarterly profit and data showed
British retail sales grew in September, although gains were
capped by concerns over new coronavirus restrictions across
England.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index .FTSE rose 0.4%, with shares
in the British lender BARC.L jumping 2.5% as its consumer
businesses swung back to profit and provisions against bad loans
fell in the third quarter. The wider banks sub-index .FTNMX8350 added 2.4%.
The domestically-focussed mid-cap FTSE 250 index .FTMC
gained 0.4%, led by travel and leisure .FTNMX5750 and aero
.FTNMX2710 stocks.
Retail sales in the UK beat expectations last month and grew
for a fifth month in a row, taking total sales volumes to 5.5%
above their level before the pandemic. InterContinental Hotels Group Plc IHG.L fell 0.1% after
the Holiday Inn-owner posted a plunge in third-quarter hotel
room revenue (RevPAR).