Oil and miners drive UK profits to six-year high of £210bn

The report from The Share Centre looks at quarterly and interim results reported during the three months to the end of June this year. The firm has updated its methodology to use most recent results rather than just annual results and to compare and contrast with analyst forecasts.  The sharp increase in profits was driven by a large one-off profit from British American Tobacco (BAT) which acquired Reynolds American. If this was excluded, then profits rose 66%.  Oil also helped; profits for oil businesses were seven times higher than in the previous year. On the other hand, healthcare...