UK shares rose on Thursday as strong text markets globally rallied after two research studies showed Omicron was less severe compared with the Delta coronavirus variant, lifting investor sentiment.
The commodity-heavy FTSE 100 gained 0.2%, extending its two-day rally, while the domestically focussed mid-cap index added 0.6% with airline stocks Wizz Air and EasyJet leading gains.
Energy and mining stocks added 0.5% and 0.3% respectively, tracking a rise in commodity prices on easing concerns about Omicron and upbeat US economic data.
Drugmaker Astrazeneca inched up 0.3% after saying its COVID-19 vaccine was effective against the Omicron coronavirus variant following a third dose.
Two separate studies in South Africa and London on Wednesday suggested the risk of hospitalisation from the Omicron variant was much less compared with the Delta variant.
UK online betting firm Flutter Entertainment rose 1.9% after saying it would buy Italian gaming operator Sisal for 1.62 billion pounds ($2.16 billion).
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