Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Chemicals, Mobile Telecommunications and Banking sectors led shares higher.
At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 gained 1.58%.
The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Johnson Matthey PLC (LON:JMAT), which rose 13.11% or 364.00 points to trade at 3141.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Intu Properties PLC (LON:INTUP) added 4.55% or 8.50 points to end at 195.45 and Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (LON:RR) was up 3.75% or 29.40 points to 814.40 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Babcock International Group PLC (LON:BAB), which fell 4.75% or 28.20 points to trade at 566.00 at the close. Kingfisher PLC (LON:KGF) declined 3.04% or 7.50 points to end at 238.80 and Shire PLC (LON:SHP) was down 0.99% or 46.00 points to 4584.00.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1351 to 763 and 279 ended unchanged.
Shares in Babcock International Group PLC (LON:BAB) fell to 5-year lows; down 4.75% or 28.20 to 566.00. Shares in Kingfisher PLC (LON:KGF) fell to 5-year lows; losing 3.04% or 7.50 to 238.80.
Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.44% or 5.40 to $1226.60 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 3.97% or 2.12 to hit $55.55 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 2.61% or 1.63 to trade at $64.16 a barrel.
GBP/USD was down 0.16% to 1.2768, while EUR/GBP rose 0.31% to 0.8919.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.09% at 96.632.