* FTSE 100 up 0.6 pct
* Wm Morrison gets results boost
* No reaction to BoE rates on hold
* Market awaits other monetary policy news
By Tricia Wright
LONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Retailers helped drive gains on Britain's top share index as investors cheered positive earnings news from the sector ahead of key international monetary policy pronouncements due out later on Thursday.
The UK benchmark index was up 30.66 points, or 0.6 percent, at 5,349.25 by 1120 GMT, having jumped 3.1 percent on Wednesday as investors sought out bargains among battered stocks.
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Retailers found favour after slightly better than expected first-half results from Wm Morrison Supermarkets and an in-line second-quarter update from midcap Home Retail . Their shares rose 3.5 percent and 4.1 percent respectively.
Next , ahead of results on Sept. 14, climbed 1.8 percent, Kingfisher , which unveils its results on Sept. 15, added 1.6 percent, while Tesco firmed 0.5 percent.
Marks & Spencer was among the top blue-chip risers, up 3.7 percent, on optimism about the retailer's plans to revamp its stores and some speculation about possible private equity interest in the stock.
Marks & Spencer declined to comment on the bid speculation.
There was no reaction to news the UK Monetary Policy Committee kept the BoE's interest rate at 0.5 percent, leaving open the option of restarting its quantitative easing programme should the economy weaken further.
The European Central Bank, meanwhile, is expected to keep interest-rates on hold later on Thursday to help revive the struggling euro zone economy.
Its interest rate decision is due at 1145 GMT, while ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet's news conference is due at 1230 GMT. It will also be closely watched for insight into the bank's bond-buying programme.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is due to speak at 1730 GMT, and President Barack Obama will outline to Congress his plans for reviving the faltering economy at 2300 GMT. With unemployment stuck above 9 percent, Obama will lay out a plan to spur job creation.
"Markets are just I think treading water waiting for Obama and Bernanke later on in the day," Martin Dobson, head of trading at Westhouse Securities, said.
"I feel that unless the stimulus that they are likely to say is going to happen for the U.S. economy jobs wise and (in terms of) asset purchasing is significant enough to make a real difference, the market's going to struggle to hold onto the gains it's made this week."
Broker downgrades were behind a number of other stock movements on Thursday.
British chemicals firm Johnson Matthey dropped 1.4 percent, while mid cap peer Victrex shed 3.2 percent, the second top FTSE 250 faller, with traders citing the impact of downgrades to "underweight" for both in a Morgan Stanley review of the European Chemicals sector.
Schroders slipped 1.8 percent, the biggest FTSE 100 faller, as Deutsche Bank cut its rating for the fund manager to "sell" in a sector review, saying investors should avoid exposure to Continental European retail assets under management.
Deutsche also downgraded its rating for Ashmore Group to "hold". Its shares, however, firmed 4.9 percent, with the fund manager having gained promotion to the FTSE 100 index on Wednesday.
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