Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Beverage, Healthcare Equipment & Services and Industrial Engineering sectors led shares higher.
At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 gained 0.91%.
The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Capita PLC (LON:CPI), which rose 6.44% or 10.25 points to trade at 169.40 at the close. Meanwhile, Merlin Entertainments PLC (LON:MERL) added 5.45% or 19.40 points to end at 375.20 and Mediclinic International PLC (LON:MDCM) was up 4.95% or 28.60 points to 607.00 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Persimmon PLC (LON:PSN), which fell 3.59% or 95.00 points to trade at 2548.00 at the close. Marks and Spencer Group PLC (LON:MKS) declined 3.26% or 9.40 points to end at 278.60 and Anglo American PLC (LON:AAL) was down 2.94% or 51.80 points to 1707.20.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1213 to 683 and 148 ended unchanged.
Shares in Marks and Spencer Group PLC (LON:MKS) fell to 5-year lows; falling 3.26% or 9.40 to 278.60.
Gold Futures for April delivery was down 0.47% or 6.20 to $1321.40 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April fell 1.01% or 0.62 to hit $60.53 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract fell 0.73% or 0.47 to trade at $63.87 a barrel.
GBP/USD was down 0.57% to 1.3821, while EUR/GBP fell 0.20% to 0.8912.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.59% at 90.09.