Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Software & Computer Services, Forestry & Paper and Electrical sectors led shares higher.
At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 rose 0.38%.
The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:HIK), which rose 6.46% or 62.00 points to trade at 1021.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Shire PLC (LON:SHP) added 6.05% or 213.50 points to end at 3744.00 and Paddy Power Betfair PLC (LON:PPB) was up 4.81% or 405.00 points to 8820.00 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were GKN PLC (LON:GKN), which fell 4.76% or 14.80 points to trade at 296.00 at the close. Royal Dutch Shell PLC Class A (LON:RDSa) declined 2.94% or 70.50 points to end at 2331.00 and Mediclinic International PLC (LON:MDCM) was down 2.69% or 16.00 points to 578.50.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1233 to 736 and 434 ended unchanged.
Shares in GKN PLC (LON:GKN) fell to 52-week lows; falling 4.76% or 14.80 to 296.00.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.23% or 2.99 to $1280.69 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in December fell 0.36% or 0.20 to hit $55.13 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract fell 0.70% or 0.43 to trade at $61.44 a barrel.
GBP/USD was up 0.11% to 1.3187, while EUR/GBP fell 0.28% to 0.8927.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.06% at 93.78.