28 April 2021 | 08:30am
StockMarketWire.com - UK stocks opened higher on a busy day for local corporate earnings brightened by pleasing updates from Lloyds and WPP that offset disappointing numbers from Sainsbury s and Reckitt Benckiser.
At 0821, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 24.66 points, or 0.4%, at 6,969.63.
High-street lender Lloyds rallied 4.4% to 45.5p, having reported a jump in first-quarter profit as bad debt provisions fell amid an ongoing economic recovery, offsetting lower income.
Lloyds also upgraded its guidance, forecasting its annual net interest margin to be in excess of 2.45% and its operating costs to fall to about £7.5 billion.
The bank said it was accruing dividends and intended to resume a progressive and sustainable ordinary dividend policy .
and of course the entire purpose of the briefing was to gain more information about a source that was used in the russia investigation and you have to wonder and legitimate questions are being raised on capitol hill, of course, tonight, about whether this was a congressional oversight activity or something else entirely, jake. all right. laura jarrett on the justice department forus, thank you so much. let s bring in my panel. let s remind everybody and, jeffrey toobin rkt l, let s stah you, rudy giuliani told politico they ll try to find out as much information as they can about these classified briefings and use it for the president s legal defense. i was stunned when i heard that emmett flood attended even if he wasn t there for the classified part of it and heard the congressional republican staffer saying it s craziest thing he s ever seen or ever heard. what was your response? well, the fundamental