FTSE 100 lifted by bank, healthcare stocks; corporate earnings in focus

Sept 10 (Reuters) - Britain's blue-chip index edged up on Wednesday, supported by heavyweight bank and healthcare stocks, while investors assessed a slew of corporate earnings.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 .FTSE was up 0.3% by 1005 GMT, while the domestically focussed mid-cap index .FTMC was flat.

Healthcare stocks .FTNMX201030 added 0.6%, boosted by consumer healthcare company Haleon's HLN.L 2.9% rise, after Goldman Sachs upgraded the company's rating to "buy" from "neutral."

Heavyweight bank .FTNMX301010 stocks advanced 0.7%, with HSBC HSBA.L up 1.1%.

Aerospace and defence .FTNMX502010 company BAE Systems BAES.L added 1.9%, while Chemring Group CHG.L rose 1.5%.

Conversely, energy stocks .FTNMX601010 fell 0.4%. Heavyweights Shell SHEL.L and BP BP.L were down.

Travel and leisure .FTNMX405010 stocks declined, with British Airways owner IAG ICAG.L down 3.4%, Wizz Air WIZZ.L falling 3.5% and EasyJet EZJ.L down 1.9%.

The homebuilders' index .FTNMX402020 lost 1.1%, dragged by Vistry VTYV.L falling 4.6% to the bottom of the mid-cap index, after reporting a 33.2% drop in adjusted pre-tax profit for the first half of 2025.

Retail stocks .FTNMX404010 JD Sports Fashion JD.L and Next NXT.L fell about 1.4% each.

Among other stocks, Associated British Foods ABF.L dropped 10.6% to the bottom of the FTSE 100, after saying underlying sales at its Primark clothing business are expected to be down around 2% in its second half.

Services provider DCC DCC.L gained 4.8%, to top the benchmark index, on plans for shareholder returns post healthcare unit sale.

Anglo American AAL.L advanced 2.7%, a day after gaining 9.1% on a $53 billion merger deal with Canada's Teck Resources TECKb.TO. Berenberg upgraded the miner's rating to "hold" from "sell".

Burberry BRBY.L advanced 1.8%, a day after falling 8.3% on cautious comments at a luxury conference.

Software company Sage SGE.L rose, climbing 1.4%, along with some European peers after Oracle ORCL.N projected over half a trillion dollars in booked cloud orders.

Serica Energy SQZ.L dropped 13.5% after cutting its 2025 production outlook.

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