Unilever soars (Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - London, 25 Jul - Shares in London closed higher after data from the US showed that the world's largest economy grew at a faster than expected pace last quarter.

Advance GDP showed the US economy grew 2.8% in the second quarter compared to a downwardly revised 1.4% in the first.

The reading was well above analyst consensus of 2.0%. At the same time the core Personal Consumption Expenditures index, stripping out food and energy, rose 2.9%, above estimates of 2.7% but well below the previous quarter's 3.7%.

Among individual stocks, consumer goods giant Unilever, whose portfolio of brands spans Dove, Axe, Hellmann's, Knorr, Domestos, Marmite and Vaseline, climbed 6.23% at 4,671.00 despite missing a sales growth forecast, as it upgraded its full-year margin guidance. The company recorded sales growth across all segments in first-half results published today.

The London FTSE 100 closed up 0.40% at 8,186.35 points.

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(RADIOCOR) 25-07-24 18:23:19 (0688) 5 NNNN