UK Shares in the Green; Entain Sheds as Finance Chief Plans Exit

11:53 AM EST, 12/11/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The UK's FTSE 100 ended Thursday trading 0.38% in the green as investors dissect the US Fed's decision the day before that reduced the target range for fed funds by 25 basis points, with a focus on comments made after. "The edits in the policy statement were subtle, but significant. The addition of the phrase 'the timing and extent of additional adjustments' to the forward guidance for interest rates mirrors the edit made to the December 2024 policy statement that preceded a 9-month pause in the rate cut cycle. This likely signals a slower pace of cuts going forward, though it is important to keep in mind that the Committee likely did not expect to be on hold for so long at the beginning of this year, as this guidance was issued prior to the tariff announcements," Jefferies said in a note. Back home, the RICS House Price Balance showed an improvement in November at -16%, compared with -19% the month prior and the Trading Economics-compiled consensus of -21%. Meanwhile, the British Secretary of State for Business & Trade approved the final recommendation for anti-dumping measures on certain engine oils and hydraulic fluids from Lithuania and the United Arab Emirates, concluding an investigation that started June 2024. Relevant goods from Lithuania and the UAE will get levies of 95.36% and 34.55%, respectively. Also on the trade front, the UK and Turkey closed the third round of negotiations for a free trade agreement. The next round is expected in early 2026. Alphabet's Google DeepMind signed a 36-month memorandum of understanding with the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology for artificial intelligence-focused cooperation on scientific breakthroughs, public services and AI security and preparedness. In listed company news, Smiths Group (SMIN.L) exercised its put option and signed a binding agreement for the sale of Smiths Interconnect to Molex Electronic. Meanwhile, Entain (ENT.L) said Group Chief Financial Officer and Group Deputy Chief Executive Rob Wood plans to leave in 2026, prompting the appointment of Michael Snape as group CFO from March 2026. At close of trading in London, shares of the engineering company added 0.26%, while the global sports betting and gaming group was off 2.19%.