Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Gas, Water & Multiutilities, Pharmaceuticals & Biotech and Tobacco sectors led shares higher.
At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 added 0.65%.
The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Shire PLC (LON:SHP), which rose 14.01% or 430.00 points to trade at 3500.00 at the close. Meanwhile, United Utilities Group PLC (LON:UU) added 8.32% or 55.60 points to end at 724.00 and Severn Trent PLC (LON:SVT) was up 6.08% or 106.00 points to 1848.00 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Antofagasta PLC (LON:ANTO), which fell 3.90% or 37.00 points to trade at 910.80 at the close. Anglo American PLC (LON:AAL) declined 3.82% or 64.20 points to end at 1616.80 and Glencore PLC (LON:GLEN) was down 2.85% or 10.35 points to 353.15.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1171 to 777 and 114 ended unchanged.
Gold Futures for April delivery was down 1.28% or 17.20 to $1324.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 1.95% or 1.27 to hit $63.98 a barrel, while the June Brent oil contract fell 1.70% or 1.18 to trade at $68.28 a barrel.
GBP/USD was down 0.34% to 1.4110, while EUR/GBP fell 0.18% to 0.8749.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.57% at 89.47.