U.K. equities ended the session higher on Tuesday, supported by strength in a handful of sectors that pushed the benchmark index into positive territory at the close in London.
Market close - The Investing.com United Kingdom 100 added 0.78% by the time markets shut in London, with leadership coming from the Automobiles & Parts, Mobile Telecommunications and Software & Computer Services sectors.
Top performers - Airtel Africa Plc (LON:AAF) led the list of winners, climbing 5.40% or 19.40 points to finish at 378.40. The stock reached an all-time high during the session. Standard Chartered PLC (LON:STAN) was also among the best performers, gaining 3.45% or 53.50 points to close at 1,603.50. 3I Group PLC (LON:III) rose 2.90% or 85.00 points to end the day at 3,020.00.
Lagging names - On the downside, B&M European Value Retail SA (LON:BMEB) fell 1.67% or 3.00 points to 177.00 at the close. Imperial Brands PLC (LON:IMB) declined 1.20% or 39.00 points to close at 3,215.00, while Halma PLC (LON:HLMA) was down 1.15% or 44.00 points to 3,794.00.
Market breadth - Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the London Stock Exchange, with 1,052 stocks rising, 724 falling and 530 finishing unchanged.
Commodities and FX - In commodities trading, Gold Futures for April delivery increased 0.15% or 7.41 to trade at 5,009.61 a troy ounce. Crude oil for May delivery rose 2.71% or 2.51 to $94.97 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract climbed 2.50% or 2.51 to $102.72 a barrel.
On the currency front, GBP/USD was essentially unchanged, moving 0.21% to 1.33, while EUR/GBP was unchanged by 0.01% to 0.86. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.11% at 99.36.
Conclusion - The late-session gains were concentrated in a few sectors that outperformed the broader market, and individual stock moves were reflected in a positive market breadth reading at the close in London.