BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks rallied on Tuesday as investors awaited a key Brexit vote in Parliament, which could see MPs vote to force the government seek extension of Article 50 to avoid a catastrophic outcome.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 80 points or 1.18 percent at 6,826 in opening deals after closing 0.9 percent lower in the previous session.
Defensive stocks were surging, with British American Tobacco up more than 5 percent, after the Trump administration unveiled a sweeping set of criminal charges against China's Huawei Technologies Co.
Hikma Pharma gained nearly 1 percent after its U.S. unit launched Mitomycin for Injection, USP, 20mg and 40mg.
Fund supermarket Hargreaves Lansdown slumped 4.8 percent after reporting a decline in assets under management for the six-month period ended December.
Royal Mail plunged almost 11 percent after narrowing its profit guidance.
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