AstraZeneca gains on results beat
Barclays rises after firstquarter profit
St. James Place drops on quarterly net flow miss
FTSE 100 flat, FTSE 250 off 0.1

April 27 Reuters The UK39;s FTSE 100 struggled for direction on Thursday as investors parsed a flurry of mixed earnings updates, while shares of Capricorn Energy slumped on reporting a fullyear operating loss.

The bluechip index traded flat, while the midcap FTSE 250 edged 0.1 lower, as of 0830 GMT.

We have got so much reporting on either side of the Atlantic, it just leaves markets a bit uncertain of where to go next, said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG Group.

There is also so much on the agenda with GDP in the U.S., doing nothing is the default option for most investors at this point.

Markets have largely been in a waitandsee mode in the resultsheavy week, with investors on the lookout for clues on the impact of monetary tightening on earnings.

Investors also await U.S. firstquarter GDP data due later in the day for clues on the health of the world39;s largest economy.

Pharmaceuticals advanced 0.6, lifted by a 0.4 rise in AstraZeneca after the drugmaker beat expectations for its firstquarter profit and revenue, helped by sales of its drugs in emerging markets.

Banks added 1.0 led by Barclays gaining 4.7 after the lender39;s firstquarter profit exceeded expectations as strong performance from its credit card business offset pressure on other business lines.

Limiting gains, investment banks…