Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Construction & Materials, Life Insurance/Assurance and Fixed Line Telecommunications sectors led shares higher.
At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 gained 2.01% to hit a new 1-month high.
The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Ashtead Group PLC (LON:AHT), which rose 4.49% or 84.00 points to trade at 1953.00 at the close. Meanwhile, WM Morrison Supermarkets PLC (LON:MRW) added 3.97% or 8.80 points to end at 230.65 and Antofagasta PLC (LON:ANTO) was up 3.79% or 31.20 points to 854.80 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Capita PLC (LON:CPI), which fell 1.76% or 2.10 points to trade at 117.50 at the close. Fresnillo PLC (LON:FRES) declined 1.47% or 13.20 points to end at 887.60 and Old Mutual Ltd (LON:OMU) was down 0.98% or 1.24 points to 125.56.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1578 to 520 and 288 ended unchanged.
Gold Futures for February delivery was down 0.79% or 10.15 to $1282.15 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in February rose 2.92% or 1.52 to hit $53.59 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 2.26% or 1.38 to trade at $62.56 a barrel.
GBP/USD was down 0.66% to 1.2898, while EUR/GBP rose 0.39% to 0.8805.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.32% at 96.018.