FTSE 100 up 0.3, FTSE 250 off 0.2
Automobile and parts sector leads gains
JD Sports gains after Q2 sales rise

Aug 22 Reuters The UK39;s benchmark FTSE 100 stock index rose on Thursday, as rising optimism around an imminent interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve boosted sentiment, while JD Sports gained after the sportswear retailer reported higher quarterly sales.

The blue chip FTSE 100 was up 0.3 at 8,306.87 as of 0715 GMT. However, the midcap FTSE 250 index was down 0.2, after logging its best day in more than a week on Wednesday.

Personal care, drug and grocery shares, and automobile and parts were the top gainers, rising 1.2 and 1.3, respectively. The subindexes were lifted by gains in top sectoral players Unilever and Aston Martin.

On the flip side, heavyweight energy shares slipped 0.7, leading declines among sectors, after oil prices dropped on global demand concerns.

Personal goods and industrial metal miners were off 0.6 each.

Investors found some comfort in the minutes of the Fed39;s last policy meeting, where a vast majority of officials said a September rate cut was likely.

Investors39; focus during the day will be on Purchasing Managers Index PMI surveys in the U.S., UK and other economies, alongside a weekly reading of jobless claims in the U.S.

The eagerly anticipated Jackson Hole economic symposium is also on the market39;s radar, with Fed Chair Jerome Powell set to speak on Friday.

The policymaker is expected to acknowledge the case…