LONDON: London's FTSE 100 index ended higher for the first time in three sessions on Monday as more stimulus in China powered mining stocks, while investors eyed a slate of economic data due later in the week to gauge the pace of a post-pandemic rebound.
The commodity-heavy FTSE 100 was up 0.8%, with miners Rio Tinto Plc, BHP Group Plc and Anglo American Plc adding between 1.7% and 2.4%.
Fresh liquidity from China's central bank helped investors brush past a delay in a weekend meeting of US and Chinese officials to review their Phase-1 trade pact.
The FTSE 100 has bounced back 24% from a coronavirus-driven crash in March as data signalled a nascent rebound in key sectors such as housing, but a recent surge in Covid-19 infections has made investors cautious about betting on risky assets in the absence of a vaccine.
The mid-cap FTSE 250, reversed earlier declines to close 0.2% higher. Meat processor Cranswick Plc boosted the index with a 6.5% jump after it said it expected retail demand to normalise in the rest of the year as more people start dining out. Eating in during lockdowns helped Cranswick's revenue surge 25% in the first quarter.
The mid-cap FTSE 250 reversed earlier declines to close 0.2% higher, powered by a 6.5% jump in meat processor Cranswick Plc expectations of retail demand to normalise in the rest of the year as more people start dining out, after eating in during lockdowns helped its revenue surge 25% in the first quarter.
After retail sales for July disappointed in both China and the United States last week, investors are awaiting UK figures on Friday.
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