FX.co ★ UK Stocks Close Higher

London’s FTSE 100 advanced on Thursday, closing about 0.7% higher at 10,832, its strongest level in nearly a week, after two consecutive sessions of declines. The rebound came as bond markets steadied and stronger commodity prices lent additional support, while ongoing tensions in the Middle East kept oil prices elevated.

On the domestic front, final PMI data confirmed that activity in the UK’s dominant services sector expanded more robustly in August, underlining resilience in the broader economy.

Among individual movers, precious metals miners Endeavour Mining and Fresnillo were standout performers, rising 3.6% and 2.9%, respectively, as they benefited from higher gold prices. Telecom stocks also underpinned the index: Vodafone Group PLC climbed 2.4% after its VodafoneThree subsidiary launched a new TV and entertainment service, positioning itself against competitors such as Sky, BT and Virgin Media O2. Airtel Africa also posted solid gains, adding more than 2%.

On the downside, Reckitt, ConvaTec, Admiral and Haleon were among the session’s weakest performers.