Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Industrial Metals & Mining, Tobacco and Pharmaceuticals & Biotech sectors led shares higher.
At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 added 0.15%.
The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN), which rose 2.53% or 145.00 points to trade at 5877.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Micro Focus International PLC (LON:MCRO) added 1.99% or 24.50 points to end at 1256.00 and British American Tobacco PLC (LON:BATS) was up 1.93% or 64.50 points to 3407.00 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Babcock International Group PLC (LON:BAB), which fell 6.21% or 38.40 points to trade at 580.40 at the close. Ashtead Group PLC (LON:AHT) declined 4.40% or 86.50 points to end at 1877.50 and Provident Financial PLC (LON:PFG) was down 3.56% or 19.80 points to 537.20.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1187 to 884 and 325 ended unchanged.
Shares in Babcock International Group PLC (LON:BAB) fell to 5-year lows; losing 6.21% or 38.40 to 580.40.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.02% or 0.30 to $1231.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December rose 0.35% or 0.22 to hit $63.36 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 0.47% or 0.34 to trade at $73.17 a barrel.
GBP/USD was up 0.37% to 1.3017, while EUR/GBP fell 0.31% to 0.8753.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.11% at 96.24.