MARKET REPORT

LONDON’S top-flight stocks are bouncing back after a torrid few days of trading, despite China’s warning that it will respond to US tariffs with tariffs on imports of $60bn (£46bn) worth of US imports.

The FTSE 100 pushed ahead regardless and was up by as much as 1.1% or 83.17 points to 7,659.1 over the session.

announced its first dividend in 10 years as it started to put some of its legacy issues to rest.

The high-street bank – which is still around 62%owned by the taxpayer – reported £888m in attributable bottom-line profits for the half-year to June 30, down from £939m a year earlier. The interim dividend will be 2p per share.

The return of the dividend helped lift shares 3% or 7.7p to 257.8p, making the lender one of the top risers on the FTSE 100.

British Airways owner

posted forecastbeating results, but warned about the impact of strike action, pushing shares 15.2p lower by the close to 669.8p.

In the six months to June 30, operating profit, before accounting for exceptional items, was up 17.4% to €1.12bn (£1bn).

Total revenue rose 3.1% to €11.2bn.

Betting firm swung to a half-year loss as it took a hit on UK Government plans to cut the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) to just £2.

The company reported a bottom-line pre-tax loss of £819.6m for the six months to June 26, having reported a profit of £93.1m during the same period last year. Shares slumped by more than 8%, closing 23.7p lower at 268.6p. Heavily-shorted

surprised investors on Friday with a lift in sales, having progressed with a new strategy under its new chief executive Peter Pritchard.

Pets at Home’s group revenue was £277.4m for the period between March 30 and July 19, with retail revenue rising 6.9% to £245m and vet revenue jumping 18.4% to £32.4m. On a like-for-like basis, retail sales were up 6.1% while vet sales grew by 13.6%. Shares jumped 11.4% or 12.9p to 126p.

The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were up 164p to 2,236p, up 36p to 1,094p,

up 7.7p to 257.8p and up 17.4p to 670p.

The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were down 15.2p, down 8.6p to 625p, down 6.5p to 1,513p and down 3p to 1,132p.