By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Banks and resource firms led U.K.'s
benchmark stock index higher on Monday, after data from China
confirmed the Asian country's economy is growing in line with
expectations.
The FTSE 100 index jumped 0.9% to 6,601.59, on track for a
third-straight day of gains.
Oil firms and miners posted some of the biggest advances in the
U.K. index, after China's National Bureau of Statistics said gross
domestic product rose 7.5% in the second quarter. The figure marked
a slowdown in growth compared with the 7.7% expansion recorded in
the first quarter, but matched expectations in separate surveys of
economists by Dow Jones Newswires and Reuters.
Among mining firms, Glencore Xstrata PLC (GLCNF) rose 1.7%, Rio
Tinto PLC (RIO) picked up 1.1%, and BHP Billiton PLC (BHP) added
0.9%. Metals prices were mostly higher.
Among oil firms on the rise, Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB) was up
1%, BG Group PLC added 0.9%, and BP PLC (BP) picked up 0.7%. Oil
prices were lower.
Banks also showed positive moves, moving higher along with the
European banking sector. Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (RBS) put
on 2.3%, Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LYG) rose 1.5%, and Barclays PLC
(BCS) added 1.2%.
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