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FTSE 100 closes higher on Wednesday

Xinhua, January 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

FTSE 100 Index, British benchmark stock market gauge, Wednesday increased by 1.63 percent, or 107.94 points, to 6,728.04.

The London stock rose on Wednesday as the expectations for loose monetary policy in Britain and the prospect for more stimulus policies in Eurozone.

The nine-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of Bank of England (BoE) voted unanimously on the holding benchmark interest rate at 0.5 percent, as the risk of deflation is mounting in the country, according the central bank's meeting minutes published on Wednesday.

British unemployment rate fell to 5.8 percent in the three-month to November 2014, lower than for a year earlier (7.1 percent), and registered the lowest level since mid 2008, data showed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Wednesday.

The unemployment rate was also lower than the market estimation consensus of 5.9 percent.

Pearson's share price increased by 4.85 percent, topped the gainers of the blue chips. BG Group, Tullow Oil, Aberdeen Asset Management and Vodafone Group increased by 4.31 percent, 3.92 percent, 3.78 percent and 3.54 percent percent respectively.

Sports Direct International led the top losers of the blue chips with a share price drop of 5.79 percent, followed by Intertek Group (3.69 percent), Associated British Foods (1.70 percent), Babcock International Group (1.17 percent) and Randgold Resources (0.63 percent).

The index has gained 2.54 percent so far this year when measured in U.S. dollar. Endit