NEW YORK: U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Oil Equipment Services & Distribution, Mobile Telecommunications and Chemicals sectors led shares higher.
At the close in London, the FTSE 100 gained 0.09%.
The best performers of the session on the FTSE 100 were Aberdeen Asset Management Plc (LONDON:ADN), which rose 2.19% or 9.60 points to trade at 448.50 at the close. Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer Group (LONDON:MKS) added 1.71% or 10.00 points to end at 593.50 and Hargreaves Lansdown Plc (LONDON:HRGV) was up 1.67% or 21.00 points to 1277.00 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were easyJet Plc (LONDON:EZJ), which fell 2.37% or 39.00 points to trade at 1610.00 at the close. International Airlines Group (LONDON:ICAG) declined 2.29% or 13.00 points to end at 554.00 and Carnival (LONDON:CCL) was down 1.87% or 60.00 points to 3141.00.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1307 to 1290 and 452 ended unchanged.
Shares in Marks & Spencer Group (LONDON:MKS) rose to all time highs; up 1.71% or 10.00 to 593.50.
Gold for June delivery was down 0.33% or 4.00 to $1204.70 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July rose 2.87% or 1.69 to hit $60.67 a barrel, while the July Brent oil contract rose 2.38% or 1.54 to trade at $66.58 a barrel.
GBP/USD was up 0.87% to 1.5672, while EUR/GBP fell 0.54% to 0.7101.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.32% at 95.35.
