BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks rose on Thursday and the pound consolidated after lawmakers rejected a no-deal Brexit, paving the way for a vote later today that could delay Brexit until at least the end of June.
Investors, meanwhile, shrugged off mixed economic readings from China.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 31 points or 0.43 percent at 7,190 in opening deals after closing up 0.1 percent the previous day.
BP Plc advanced 0.8 percent and Tullow Oil jumped 2 percent as oil prices hit four-month highs amid global production cuts and supply disruptions in Venezuela.
Retirement services specialist Just Group fell as much as 14 percent on equity dilution worries.
OneSavings Bank gained 1 percent and Charter Court Financial Services Group added 0.7 percent after they have reached agreement on the terms of an all-share deal that would create one of the U.K.'s largest specialist lenders.
British American Tobacco rose 0.7 percent. The company said it would provide details on its previously announced plans to deliver Group revenue growth in the upper half of 3-5 percent per annum range in the near term.
Balfour Beatty climbed over 1 percent after it has been selected as preferred bidder for Network Rail's 1.5 billion pounds Central Track Alliance contract.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2019 AFX News
