UK GDP Beats Forecasts, Sage and National Grid Impress | CityCast AM – Thu 15 May 2025

London opened flat on Thursday, but stronger-than-expected UK GDP growth in Q1 brought a brighter tone to the day’s economic headlines. Output rose 0.7%, well ahead of forecasts, driven by strength in services and production sectors. Meanwhile, Sage and National Grid posted upbeat earnings, and B&M named a new CEO.In global markets, Wall Street’s tech rally continued as Nvidia and Super Micro soared on Saudi AI deals. Asia traded mixed, with declines in Japan and Hong Kong but modest gains in Australia.Start your day with CityCast AM—your five-minute financial market primer.⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Intro & FTSE opens flat after Wednesday’s decline00:25 – UK GDP grows 0.7% in Q1, led by services and production01:05 – B&M names retail veteran Tjeerd Jegen as CEO01:25 – Sage H1 results: Revenues +9%, profits +16%, £200m buyback extension02:10 – National Grid EPS beats, £60bn investment plan, 6–8% annual EPS growth outlook02:55 – Asia-Pacific wrap:• Nikkei -1%• Hang Seng -1.1%• ASX +0.2%03:30 – Wall Street overnight:• Nasdaq +0.7%, S&P +0.1%, Dow down• Nvidia +4%, AMD gains on export rule rollback• Super Micro +16% on $20bn Saudi AI deal04:35 – Looking ahead: US jobless claims, PPI, and retail sales due today05:00 – Wrap-up: Back at lunch with London updates and Asia close