LONDON: London’s FTSE 100 rose on Thursday, helped by mining and energy stocks that tracked higher commodity prices, while Standard Chartered dropped after its annual profit more than halved due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The commodity-heavy FTSE 100 index was up 0.4%, with mining stocks, including Rio Tinto, Anglo American, and BHP, gaining between 1.5% and 2%.
Oil heavyweights BP and Royal Dutch Shell also provided the biggest boosts, with gains of 2.0% and 1.8%, respectively. The domestically focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index edged up 0.1%.
In company news, Standard Chartered PLC fell 4.8% despite restoring its dividend and reaffirming its long-term profit goals, while Hikma Pharmaceuticals shed 8.3% even after issuing an upbeat outlook. Anglo American gained 4.2% as it boosted dividends after strong commodity prices helped the diversified miner recover from coronavirus disruptions suffered in the first half. Outsourcer Serco Group Plc rose 5% after it reinstated dividends and raised its 2021 forecasts.
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