Investors gave a cautiously positive response to a tidal wave of blue-chip corporate results on Thursday.
The FTSE 100 Index lifted 15.22 points to 6646 as companies ranging from Royal Dutch Shell and Centrica to BT and Diageo updated the market.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended yesterday's session 121 points up at 17751 as the US Federal Reserve failed to change interest rates and gave little away about when a rise might come.
Michael Moran at Daiwa Capital Markets said the Fed's policy statement was largely unchanged from June, although the few subtle adjustments it did make were positive.
"The shifts were not so pronounced as to signal a rate hike in September, but they implied that lift-off is drawing near," he said.
It was corporate results that dominated the early headlines in London. Royal Dutch Shell (LON:RDSB) spurted 44p to 1821p as it announced lower profits and 6,500 job cuts as part of a drive to adjust to lower oil prices.
BT (LON:BT.A) drifted 12.05p to 461.45p as the telecoms group reported higher profits and latest customer numbers for its new mobile and TV businesses.
Connor Campbell at Spreadex said: "This disappointment could perhaps be attributed to the 2% drop in revenue seen by the media company, a decline that becomes more egregious when compared to the staggering growth shown by Sky in its fiscal full year results yesterday."
Centrica (LON:CNA) also weighed in with thousands of job cuts as its British Gas arm made profits of £528mln in the six months to June 30, up 99% on the same period a year ago. Shares fell 5p to 270.2p.
Jet engine maker Rolls-Royce (LON:RR.) gained 9p to 739.5p as it cheered investors with unchanged guidance for annual revenue and profit despite posting a 32% fall in underlying pre-tax profit to £439mln.
Defence group BAE Systems (LON:BA.) ticked up 3p to 472.6p on news of higher sales but a slight fall in underlying earnings.
Chief executive Ian King said: "BAE Systems is well positioned to benefit from a generally improving market environment."
Drinks group Diageo (LON:DGE) fell 7.5p to 1832p as it reported flat sales in 2015 prompted by declines in some of its markets.
Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) rang up 5p to 358.2p after reporting a better-than-expected increase in second quarter profit.
The majority state-owned bank has been restructuring after being rescued in the financial crisis and taking hits for PPI mis-selling and other controversies.
Mike van Dulken at Accendo Markets said the profit rise came "despite booking a £1.05bn restructuring charge (double that of Q1) and having to make another £459m provision for future wrist-slapping."
Shares in drug group AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) were 91.5p healthier at 4282.5p as second quarter revenue at constant exchange rates rose 2% but core operating profit fell 4%.