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FTSE 100 up 0.6%, FTSE 250 down 0.7%

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AstraZeneca ( AZN ) up after Q2 profit beats expectations

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Greggs ( GGGSF ) falls on lower first-half profit

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Inchcape ( IHCPF ) slips on HY profit drop

(Updates after market close)

July 29 (Reuters) -

Britain's FTSE 100 closed higher on Tuesday, led by

healthcare shares, as investors assessed mixed corporate updates

and awaited the Federal Reserve's next policy decision on

Wednesday.

The benchmark index rose 0.6%.

Healthcare stocks gained 2.2% after

AstraZeneca ( AZN ) beat second-quarter revenue and profit

expectations. Shares of the drugmaker climbed 3.4%.

Heavyweight bank stocks advanced 1.5%,

tracking gains in European peers. Barclays ( BCS ) gained 2.8%

after the British lender's first-half profit rose by a

better-than-expected 23%.

Europe's bank stocks rose to their highest level since

September 2008 as investors bet on improved profits and

resilience in an industry broadly insulated from tariff turmoil.

Precious metal miners led sectoral gains with

a 2.4% rise as gold prices steadied after hitting their lowest

level since July 9 on Monday.

Conversely, chemical stocks lost 5.4%,

pressured by Croda International's ( COIHF ) 10.4% fall, after

the chemical company reported first-half sales below estimates.

Industrial miners lost 1.3%, tracking lower

copper prices.

Glencore ( GLCNF ) and Anglo American fell 3.4% and

1.6% respectively.

Among other individual stocks, Games Workshop ( GMWKF ) surged

5.4% to top the FTSE 100 index, after the miniature wargames

maker reported a nearly 30% jump in annual pre-tax profit.

The domestically-focused midcap FTSE 250 index

closed down 0.7%, pressured by Inchcape's ( IHCPF ) 11.7% fall

after the car distributor reported a 4% drop in first-half

adjusted pre-tax profit at constant currency.

Greggs ( GGGSF ) slipped 4.7% after reporting a 14% fall in

first-half profit.

On trade, U.S. Commerce chief Howard Lutnick said on Tuesday

that President Donald Trump would make his trade deal decisions

this week, even as separate negotiations with China and the

European Union continue.

U.S. and EU officials were still discussing steel and

aluminium tariffs as well as digital services regulations.

Trump also flagged a "world tariff" rate of 15% to 20% on

Monday for countries that were not negotiating a deal, among the

highest rates since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Focus will be on the U.S. central bank's policy meeting,

which is expected to leave rates unchanged on Wednesday.