• Metro Bank rises on sale of unsecured loan book portfolio
• ConvaTec jumps after higher annual profit
• FTSE 100 up 0.6%, FTSE 250 gains 0.9%

Feb 26 (Reuters) - UK's benchmark stock indexes rose on Wednesday, swept up in a global risk-off move, with gains in banks and mining stocks pushing the blue-chip FTSE 100 to an over one-week high.

The blue-chip index (.FTSE) , opens new tab was up 0.6% by 10.53 GMT, touching its highest since February 19. British midcaps (.FTMC) , opens new tab also climbed 0.9%.

Banks (.FTNMX301010) , opens new tab were the biggest boost on the FTSE 100, with mortgage lender Lloyds (LLOY.L) , opens new tab up 3.2%, after at least two brokerages raised their price target on the stock.

Metro Bank (MTRO.L) , opens new tab gained 1.3% after the lender said it has signed an agreement to sell a portfolio of about 584 million pounds ($739 million) of unsecured personal loans.

Industrial metal miners (.FTNMX551020) , opens new tab advanced 0.8%, as copper prices remained elevated though there was caution after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a probe into potential new tariffs on copper imports.

Medical equipment manufacturer ConvaTec Group (CTEC.L) , opens new tab emerged as the FTSE 100's top performer, surging 7.4%, after reporting higher year-on-year profit.

On the flipside, Aston Martin (AML.L) , opens new tab plunged 13.3% after the luxury automaker announced a second delay in launching its first battery electric vehicle and said it plans to reduce its global workforce by 5%.

Oil major BP (BP.L) , opens new tab said it would increase its annual oil and gas investments to $10 billion, returning the focus to fossil fuels. Its shares, however, dipped 1%.

Meanwhile, the pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) , opens new tab climbed to a record high as sentiment remained upbeat after the U.S. and Ukraine reached an agreement on a draft minerals deal.

Market participants await comments from Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee member Swati Dhingra later in the day.

Traders currently see more than 56 basis-points worth of easing by the BoE this year, implying at least two 25-bps cuts by December, as per data complied by LSEG.

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https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/banks-miners-boost-uks-ftse-100-more-than-one-week-high-2025-02-26/