Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Oil Equipment Services & Distribution, Automobiles & Parts and Life Insurance/Assurance sectors led shares higher.
At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 rose 0.82% to hit a new 52-week high.
The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:HIK), which rose 7.88% or 175.00 points to trade at 2395.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Inmarsat PLC (LON:ISA) added 4.95% or 41.00 points to end at 870.00 and Sports Direct International PLC (LON:SPD) was up 3.82% or 10.800 points to 293.700 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (LON:RBS), which fell 7.19% or 13.800 points to trade at 178.200 at the close. Fresnillo PLC (LON:FRES) declined 3.58% or 70.00 points to end at 1884.00 and Randgold Resources Ltd (LON:RRS) was down 3.01% or 260.00 points to 8375.00.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1562 to 542 and 451 ended unchanged.
Gold for December delivery was down 1.66% or 22.65 to $1344.75 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in September fell 0.91% or 0.38 to hit $41.55 a barrel, while the October Brent oil contract fell 0.95% or 0.42 to trade at $43.87 a barrel.
GBP/USD was down 0.31% to 1.3068, while EUR/GBP fell 0.11% to 0.8482.
The US Dollar Index was up 0.49% at 96.22.