BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks rose on Monday, with heavyweight banks and miners leading the way as Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepares to appoint top ministers to his cabinet.
The MPs' first job will be to vote on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) on leaving the European Union (EU) that Johnson intends to bring back before Christmas.
Investors also reacted positively to data from China showing that the country's industrial production and retail sales expanded at the fastest pace in five months in November.
Closer home, the 'flash' early reading of the IHS Markit/CIPS UK Purchasing Managers' Indexes (PMI) for Britain showed that the economy is on course to contract in the fourth quarter.
The benchmark FTSE 100 was up as much as 160 points, or 2.2 percent, at 7,514 after climbing 1.1 percent on Friday.
Asia-focused lender HSBC Holdings rallied 2.5 percent while miners Anglo American, Antofagasta and Glencore jumped 2-4 percent.
Aston Martin Lagonda shares soared almost 8 percent. Responding to press speculation, the manufacturer of luxury cars confirmed that it is engaged in early stage discussions with potential strategic investors in relation to building longer term relationships which may or may not involve an equity investment.
Retailing group Sports Direct jumped 18 percent after it reported a big jump in half-year profit and said that it was beginning to see the 'green shoots of recovery' at House of Fraser.
Cineworld Group tumbled 3 percent. The cinema chain has signed an agreement to acquire Cineplex Inc. (CGX.TO) for C$34 in cash per share.
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