LONDON: U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Automobiles & Parts, Tobacco and Industrial Engineering sectors led shares higher. At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 added 0.16%. The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Antofagasta PLC (LON:ANTO), which rose 4.07% or 33.50 points to trade at 857.50 at the close. Meanwhile, Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (LON:RBS) added 3.41% or 7.500 points to end at 227.500 and Standard Chartered PLC (LON:STAN) was up 3.38% or 25.800 points to 788.800 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Fresnillo PLC (LON:FRES), which fell 4.18% or 62.00 points to trade at 1420.00 at the close. Randgold Resources Ltd (LON:RRS) declined 3.28% or 225.00 points to end at 6630.00 and Vodafone Group PLC (LON:VOD) was down 3.24% or 6.45 points to 192.90. Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1184 to 768 and 398 ended unchanged. Shares in Antofagasta PLC (LON:ANTO) rose to 52-week highs; gaining 4.07% or 33.50 to 857.50. Shares in Standard Chartered PLC (LON:STAN) rose to 52-week highs; up 3.38% or 25.800 to 788.800. Gold for February delivery was down 0.97% or 11.80 to $1199.00 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March rose 0.15% or 0.08 to hit $53.26 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract unchanged 0.00% or 0.00 to trade at $55.44 a barrel. GBP/USD was up 0.74% to 1.2614, while EUR/GBP fell 0.70% to 0.8510. The US Dollar Index was down 0.20% at 100.07.
