Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Automobiles & Parts, Software & Computer Services and Life Insurance/Assurance sectors led shares higher.
At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 gained 0.51% to hit a new 6-months high.
The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were St. James’s Place PLC (LON:SJP), which rose 4.54% or 39.00 points to trade at 898.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Legal & General Group PLC (LON:LGEN) added 3.08% or 5.900 points to end at 197.300 and Sage Group PLC (LON:SGE) was up 3.03% or 20.50 points to 697.00 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Anglo American PLC (LON:AAL), which fell 4.82% or 39.20 points to trade at 774.40 at the close. Fresnillo PLC (LON:FRES) declined 3.09% or 58.00 points to end at 1819.00 and Randgold Resources Ltd (LON:RRS) was down 2.57% or 230.00 points to 8710.00.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1108 to 578 and 409 ended unchanged.
Shares in Sage Group PLC (LON:SGE) rose to all time highs; gaining 3.03% or 20.50 to 697.00.
Gold for August delivery was down 1.05% or 14.05 to $1318.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September rose 1.03% or 0.47 to hit $45.92 a barrel, while the September Brent oil contract rose 1.46% or 0.68 to trade at $47.34 a barrel.
GBP/USD was up 0.47% to 1.3174, while EUR/GBP fell 0.64% to 0.8353.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.13% at 97.19.