U.K. stocks finished modestly higher on Tuesday, with sector-level strength in Tobacco, Oil & Gas Producers and Beverage companies helping push the market up at the close in London.
The Investing.com United Kingdom 100 rose 0.04% by the end of trading in London.
Among individual contributors, DCC plc (LON:DCC) was the session's top performer, advancing 2.77% or 145.00 points to finish at 5,380.00. Airtel Africa Plc (LON:AAF) added 2.36% or 8.20 points to close at 355.40, while Centrica PLC (LON:CNA) gained 1.98% or 4.10 points to end the day at 211.20.
Conversely, several large-cap names fell. Taylor Wimpey PLC (LON:TW) declined 5.25% or 4.38 points to end at 79.00, Antofagasta PLC (LON:ANTO) slipped 3.38% or 122.00 points to 3,488.00, and Anglo American PLC (LON:AAL) was down 3.07% or 111.50 points at 3,520.00.
Decliners outnumbered advancers on the London Stock Exchange, with 1,030 equities falling versus 723 rising; 534 issues finished unchanged.
On a notable company-level basis, shares of DCC plc rose to 52-week highs, gaining 2.77% or 145.00 to 5,380.00. By contrast, Taylor Wimpey PLC shares slid to 5-year lows, losing 5.25% or 4.38 to 79.00.
Commodities displayed mixed moves. Gold Futures for June delivery fell 2.03% or 95.09 to $4,598.61 a troy ounce. Energy contracts were firmer: Crude oil for June delivery increased 3.67% or 3.54 to $99.91 a barrel, while the July Brent contract rose 2.51% or 2.55 to trade at $104.24 a barrel.
In foreign exchange trading, GBP/USD was unchanged 0.21% to 1.35, while EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.12% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.13% to 98.45.
The session closed with a mixed picture across sectors - pockets of strength in tobacco, oil and beverages offset by weakness in construction and mining-related stocks, leaving the United Kingdom 100 essentially flat on the day.