FTSE 100 Index, British benchmark stock market gauge, Thursday rose by 0.22 percent, or 15.99 points, to 7,340.71 points.

Share price of Next increased by 8.08 percent, topping the gainers of the blue chips. Marks & Spencer Group, TUI, Ashtead Group and easyJet increased by 3.82 percent, 2.74 percent, 2.55 percent and 2.34 percent respectively.

Randgold Resources led the top losers of the blue chips with a share price drop of 2.74 percent, following by Glencore (2.40 percent), Hikma Pharmaceuticals (2.22 percent), Fresnillo (2.10 percent) and Pearson (1.63 percent).