U.K. stocks higher at close of trade; Investing.com United Kingdom 100 up 1.13%

Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Industrial Engineering, Support Services and Aerospace & Defense sectors led shares higher.

At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 rose 1.13% to hit a new 1-month high.

The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Rightmove PLC (LON:RMV), which rose 4.31% or 27.00 points to trade at 654.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC (LON:SPX) added 4.21% or 280.00 points to end at 6,925.00 and Experian PLC (LON:EXPN) was up 3.67% or 129.00 points to 3,647.00 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were JD Sports Fashion PLC (LON:JD), which fell 5.94% or 5.52 points to trade at 87.36 at the close. Taylor Wimpey PLC (LON:TW) declined 2.89% or 3.30 points to end at 111.05 and Whitbread PLC (LON:WTB) was down 2.39% or 71.00 points to 2,901.00.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1116 to 682 and 612 ended unchanged.

Shares in JD Sports Fashion PLC (LON:JD) fell to 3-years lows; down 5.94% or 5.52 to 87.36.

Gold Futures for February delivery was up 1.36% or 37.09 to $2,754.89 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March fell 1.45% or 1.14 to hit $77.57 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract fell 1.28% or 1.05 to trade at $80.98 a barrel.

GBP/USD was unchanged 0.03% to 1.22, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.05% to 0.84.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.11% at 108.80.