Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the General Retailers, Construction & Materials and Food & Drug Retailers sectors led shares higher.
At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 rose 0.04% to hit a new 52-week high.
The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Sports Direct International PLC (LON:SPD), which rose 4.11% or 12.200 points to trade at 308.800 at the close. Meanwhile, EasyJet PLC (LON:EZJ) added 3.97% or 42.000 points to end at 1101.000 and Marks and Spencer Group PLC (LON:MKS) was up 3.81% or 13.00 points to 354.50 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Antofagasta PLC (LON:ANTO), which fell 3.38% or 18.00 points to trade at 514.00 at the close. Rio Tinto PLC (LON:RIO) declined 3.21% or 80.000 points to end at 2409.000 and Anglo American PLC (LON:AAL) was down 3.16% or 28.00 points to 856.90.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1363 to 739 and 469 ended unchanged.
Gold for December delivery was down 0.03% or 0.45 to $1349.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 1.98% or 0.86 to hit $44.35 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract rose 1.59% or 0.73 to trade at $46.77 a barrel.
GBP/USD was down 0.28% to 1.2920, while EUR/GBP rose 0.54% to 0.8644.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.27% at 95.64.