European equities were on the up on Monday afternoon, getting some impetus from bullish trade in New York at the end of last week and for now overlooking interest rate worries.Federal Reserve rate cut bets for March have steadily ebbed. The US central bank is now odds-on to hold rates in its March meeting.The FTSE 100 index was up 13.49 points, 0.2%, at 7,475.42. The FTSE 250 was up 146.18 points,

A rising pound was holding back the FTSE 100 index at midday on Thursday, as hawkish comments from a Bank of England official contrasted with a dovish set of US Fed meeting minutes.The FTSE 100 index was up 11.40 points, 0.2%, at 7,476.64. The FTSE 250 was up 77.35 points, 0.4%, at 19,577.85, and the AIM All-Share was up 4.29 points, 0.5%, at 844.59.The Cboe UK 100 was marginally higher at 747.87.

Oil firm United Oil & Gas (UOG:AIM) fell 18.8% to 2.7p as it downgraded its annual output forecast after a higher proportion of water started being produced at key wells in Egypt.Full-year output from the Abu Sennan licence in Egypt was now expected at 2,100 to 2,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), down from previous guidance of 2,500 to 2,700 boepd.The ASH field at the Abu Sennan licen