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FTSE 100 up 0.2%, FTSE 250 up 0.1%

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Hiscox ( HCXLF ) up on strong H1 results

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Glencore ( GLCNF ) shares fall as H1 profit drops 14%

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Shares in Coca-Cola bottlers drop sharply on weak outlook

(Updates with market closing prices)

Aug 6 (Reuters) - British equities closed marginally

higher on Wednesday, as investors assessed a slew of corporate

earnings and awaited a Bank of England rate cut on Thursday.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 was up 0.2%, rising for a

third consecutive session after touching a four-month low on

Friday.

The domestically focused midcap FTSE 250 rose 0.1%.

Energy stocks gained 1.8%, tracking higher

oil prices after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed additional

tariffs on India for buying Russian crude.

Heavyweight Shell and BP boosted the

benchmark index, up 1.3% and 3.1% respectively.

Insurance stocks rose 2.7%, after Hiscox ( HCXLF )

reported a 6.2% rise in first-half group net insurance

premiums. Shares of the British insurer jumped 9.4%, making it

the biggest percentage gainer in the FTSE 100.

Shares of miner Fresnillo continued gains from the

previous session with an 8.9% rise.

Conversely, British healthcare stocks slipped

1.4% after Trump said on Tuesday that Washington would initially

place a "small tariff" on pharmaceutical imports, eventually

increasing it to 250%.

AstraZeneca ( AZN ) and GSK were down 1.5% and 1.7%

respectively.

London-listed shares of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

and Coca-Cola HBC - bottling units of U.S.

beverage giant Coca-Cola - fell 9.2% and 6.9%,

respectively, after their quarterly reports, dragging on the

FTSE 100.

Meanwhile, the Bank of England is widely expected to cut its

key interest rate to 4% from 4.25% on Thursday and to lower it

again before the year's end, despite inflation nearing double

the central bank's 2% target in June.

"The decision to cut rates again is likely to be far from

unanimous... How the Bank couches its accompanying commentary

will send a strong signal regarding its perception of the

trajectories for economic activity and inflation in coming

months", said Jeremy Batstone-Carr, European Strategist at

Raymond James Investment Services in a note.

Among other individual stocks, Glencore ( GLCNF ) fell 5.4%

after the UK miner reported a drop in first-half core profit.

TP ICAP fell 8.1%, among the top loser in the FTSE

250, after the British inter-dealer broker posted

weaker-than-expected half-year operating profit.