FTSE 100 up 0.2, FTSE 250 off 0.1

Nov 18 Reuters UK39;s main stock indexes traded in a tight range on Monday, as caution prevailed ahead of an inflation report due later in the week, while conglomerate Melrose jumped following an upbeat trading update.

In a quiet start to the week, the FTSE 100 index inched up 0.2, buttressed by gains in precious metal miners as bullion prices rebounded.

Melrose Industries rose 6.4 to levels seen more than three months ago, after the owner of aerospace parts maker GKN Aerospace reported a jump in revenue over the past four months and said it expects to deliver a surge in free cash flow in 2025.

Historically Melrose bought up industrial businesses and executed a buy, improve, sell model investors will hope the 39;improve39; bit has been retained, said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

The midcap FTSE 250 that houses more domestically exposed companies dipped 0.1, ahead of October inflation data expected on Wednesday.

A majority of market participants, as per data compiled by LSEG, have priced in that the Bank of England could leave interest rates unchanged at its last meeting for the year in December, despite signs of the economy in contraction.

The main indexes logged losses in the previous week, with the FTSE 100 clocking its fourth straight week in declines.

Meanwhile, Cerillion added 2.7 after the billing, charging and customer relationship management software solutions provider reported strong annual results….