U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Tobacco, Gas, Water&Multiutilities and Oil&Gas Producers sectors led shares higher.
At the close in London, the United Kingdom 100 rose 0.68%.
The best performers of the session on the United Kingdom 100 were Imperial Brands PLC (LON:IMB), which rose 5.71% or 112.00 points to trade at 2073.00 at the close. Meanwhile, British American Tobacco PLC (LON:BATS) added 3.08% or 87.00 points to end at 2915.50 and United Utilities Group PLC (LON:UU) was up 2.77% or 22.40 points to 829.60 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Kingfisher PLC (LON:KGF), which fell 4.81% or 10.50 points to trade at 207.60 at the close. Intu Properties PLC (LON:INTUP) declined 4.35% or 3.86 points to end at 84.94 and Hargreaves Lansdown PLC (LON:HRGV) was down 4.11% or 81.50 points to 1900.00.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1089 to 996 and 208 ended unchanged.
Shares in Intu Properties PLC (LON:INTUP) fell to all time lows; losing 4.35% or 3.86 to 84.94.
Gold Futures for August delivery was up 0.67% or 8.95 to $1342.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in July fell 0.25% or 0.13 to hit $51.55 a barrel, while the August Brent oil contract fell 0.12% or 0.07 to trade at $60.56 a barrel.
GBP/USD was up 0.19% to 1.2708, while EUR/GBP rose 0.50% to 0.8887.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.44% at 96.822.
