FTSE 100 holds on to slight gains; Wall Street digests positive jobless claims data The UK blue chip index closed higher after positive economic news FTSE 100 adds 37 points US stocks see mixed performance UK service sector growth fastest since 2013 5:05pm: BoE meeting propels FTSE to positive day The FTSE 100 ended Thursday up 37 points, 0.5%, at 7,076, while the FTSE 250 added 105 points, 0.5%, to 22,491. "UK stocks have managed to stave off any of the losses seen on mainland Europe, with a positive assessment from the Bank of England highlighting a strong 2021," IG Senior Market Analyst Joshua Mahony said. "The Bank of England meeting gave plenty of grounds for optimism, with the bank raising forecasts to predict the best year of growth since the second world war. The dramatic upgrade in growth forecasts saw the bank predict a rate of 7.25% over the course of 2021; up from the February outlook for 5%."