London stocks opened firmer on Tuesday, extending their rebound from last week’s sell-off as investors weighed upcoming US economic data against continued global trade concerns.
The FTSE 100 rose 0.3% to 9,152.02. The FTSE 250 gained 0.4% to 21,944.92, and the AIM All-Share rose 0.7% to 764.44.
Markets continued their dip-buying momentum, though uncertainty lingers around the global outlook. Investors are eyeing US trade balance and PMI releases for clues on whether growth can keep pace, while tariff concerns still weigh on sentiment in Europe.
Smith & Nephew surged 12% after reporting a 43% jump in first-half pretax profit to $362 million, with revenue up 4.6% to $2.96 billion. The medical device maker kept full-year guidance unchanged but launched a $500 million buyback, sending shares sharply higher.
The company also lifted its interim dividend to 15.0 US cents per share, up from 14.4 cents. It expects trading profit margins to expand to 19–20%.
Cap-XX climbed 22% after announcing a design-in win with a top-tier global chipmaker. Its supercapacitor tech will be used in high-temperature electric chambers during semiconductor fabrication—offering what the firm called a “validation” of its technology in demanding environments.
Domino’s Pizza plunged 19% after first-half pretax profit fell 32% to £40.5 million. The firm cut its full-year EBITDA guidance to between £130 million and £140 million, blaming flat orders, soft consumer sentiment, and slower-than-expected store expansion.
While revenue rose slightly, and the dividend was lifted to 3.6p per share, investor confidence was dented by a weaker outlook. Domino’s now expects store openings in the “mid-twenties” for the full year.