Double profits take Rolls-Royce to top spot on FTSE

Rolls-Royce rose to the top of the FTSE 100 leaderboard this morning after the engine-maker doubled profits over the past year and forecast further growth in 2024, capping a year in which its share price has more than tripled. Its shares jumped by 30p, or 9 per cent, to 359¼p, their highest level since 2018.

Another big riser was the insurer Beazley, whose shares rose by 49p, or 8.4 per cent, to 631p after it said it would be returning an extra $300 million to shareholders off the back of better-than-expected claim numbers. Hikma Pharmaceuticals rose by 102½p, or 5.1 per cent, to £21 after the drug-maker reported a 30 per cent increase in net profit.

Anglo American gained 108p, or 6 per cent,