LONDON MARKETS: Shell Boosts FTSE 100 After Earnings Double

By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- The U.K.'s benchmark's stock index rose for the first time in two days on Thursday, getting a lift from shares of Royal Dutch Shell PLC after the oil giant's earnings jumped in the second-quarter.

The FTSE 100 index rose 0.3% to 6,793.93, climbing back from a 0.5% drop on Wednesday.

Most U.K. stocks were mired in the red, and a 2.6% gain for Shell (RDSB) was a major reason the FTSE made it into positive territory. The oil major said its second-quarter profit more than doubled as it benefited from higher liquid-petroleum prices and higher prices for specific products.

Another energy heavyweight, BG Group PLC advanced 3.1% after the company reported a 25% rise in second-quarter earnings.

BP PLC (BP) added 0.9%.

On a more downbeat note, shares of Weir Group PLC lost 2.9% after the engineering company reported a 4.8% fall in pretax profit due to the strength of the pound.

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