UK stocks notch second monthly gain in a row

LONDON: UK indexes marked a second straight month of gains on Friday, buoyed by hopes that the US and Iran were nearing a deal to extend their ceasefire.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index ended down 0.2 percent and posted monthly gains of around 0.3 percent. The midcap FTSE 250 gained 0.4 percent on the day and 4.3 percent for May.

Shares of Ocado soared 7.1 percent after supermarket group Asda struck a deal with the technology firm to overhaul its online business across the UK.

Oil prices slipped nearly 2 percent after the US and Iran reached an agreement to extend a ceasefire and lift restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, sources told Reuters.

President Donald Trump said he would make a final decision on Friday.