U.K. blue-chip stocks on Wednesday caught up with their global counterparts after a four-day break, with the leading index rising to its highest level in 22 months.
The FTSE 100
UKX,
rose 0.8% in midday action, its best level since Feb. 2020, the month before the U.K. entered its first lockdown. Spirax-Sarco Engineering
SPX,
was the best performing large-cap stock, rising 4%. Silver miner Fresnillo
FRES,
slipped 2%.
Despite Wednesday’s gains, the index is up about 15% this year, underperforming rivals in Europe as well as the U.S.
The mid-cap FTSE 250
MCX,
added 1.2% on Wednesday, driven by retailer Frasers Group
FRAS,
and fund manager Liontrust Asset Management
LIO,
which each rose 4%.
