By Polya Lesova, MarketWatch
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The U.K.'s benchmark stock index
gained on Wednesday, led higher by ITV PLC and BT Group PLC, as
investors awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve's statement on monetary
policy.
The FTSE 100 index rose 0.3% to end at 6,451.29. It gained 0.3%
in April, its 11th consecutive monthly gain.
Most European markets were closed for the May Day holiday on
Wednesday. The Stoxx 600 , a pan-European stock-market gauge,
gained 0.1% to 296.93.
ITV shares rallied 4.3%, making the broadcasting company the top
gainer in the FTSE 100.
Telecommunications firm BT Group gained 3.4%.
U.K. banking shares also advanced, with Standard Chartered PLC
up 1.6% and Barclays PLC (BCS) up 1.3%.
Most mining shares gave up gains, as China's official gauge of
manufacturing activity fell to 50.6 in April, according to the
National Bureau of Statistics. The manufacturing purchasing
managers' index remained above the 50 mark that separates growth
from contraction.
Among miners, Eurasian Natural Resources Corp. dropped 4.2%.
Shares of Antofagasta PLC slipped 0.3% as the copper producer
reported first-quarter copper output in line with expectations and
reaffirmed its full-year targets.
Randgold Resources Ltd. rose 1%, while Fresnillo PLC fell 0.4%.
Commodities trader Glencore International PLC fell 0.8%.
The U.S. Federal Reserve's open market committee is due to make
a monetary-policy announcement later on Wednesday. It is expected
to keep its bond-buying program unchanged at $85 billion a
month.
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