FTSE 100 Stagnant as Balfour Beatty Hits Record High Amid US Inflation Fears

The FTSE 100 index was largely flat on Wednesday as investors remained cautious ahead of US inflation data. The blue-chip index edged up 0.04% to 10,848.75 points by 1014 GMT.

Midcap stocks outperformed the larger index, with Balfour Beatty soaring to a record high after raising its annual operating profit forecast. The British construction group cited strong demand for infrastructure projects in the US and UK as the reason for its revised forecast.

The company's shares jumped 9.2% following the announcement, while mining giants Anglo American and Rio Tinto gained more than 1% each due to a rise in copper prices after a temporary shutdown at an Indonesian smelter.