Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Food Producers, Tobacco and Beverages sectors led shares higher.
At the close in London, the FTSE 100 rose 0.35%.
The best performers of the session on the FTSE 100 were Coca Cola HBC AG (LONDON:CCH), which rose 4.66% or 57.0 points to trade at 1279.0 at the close. Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer Group (LONDON:MKS) added 4.43% or 23.50 points to end at 554.00 and Imperial Tobacco Group (LONDON:IMT) was up 2.82% or 86.00 points to 3131.00 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Bhp Billiton (LONDON:BLT), which fell 2.62% or 38.50 points to trade at 1431.50 at the close. Antofagasta (LONDON:ANTO) declined 2.11% or 15.50 points to end at 718.00 and Anglo American (LONDON:AAL) was down 1.92% or 19.50 points to 997.00.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1354 to 780 and 356 ended unchanged.
Shares in Marks & Spencer Group (LONDON:MKS) rose to all time highs; rising 4.43% or 23.50 to 554.00. Shares in Anglo American (LONDON:AAL) fell to 5-year lows; losing 1.92% or 19.50 to 997.00.
Gold for June delivery was down 0.70% or 8.40 to $1199.80 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 1.18% or 0.59 to hit $49.50 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract fell 2.78% or 1.58 to trade at $55.52 a barrel.
GBP/USD was up 0.13% to 1.4843, while EUR/GBP rose 0.94% to 0.7329.
The US Dollar Index was down 0.76% at 97.77.