Off the wire
• LME base metals close lower on Thursday  • Sides start drafting final nuclear deal in Vienna  • Global contest for students to show talent kicks off in St. Louis  • Reconciliation against radicalism urged at peace summit in Istanbul  • Roundup: Greek economy still struggling, five years after resort to bailout  • British public fiscal deficit down by 11.1 bln pounds in 2014/15  • Youth represent promise, not peril, says UN chief  • Dutch gov't's refugee shelter deal sparks criticism  • Madagascar's president says his meeting with Indonesian president fruitful  • British retail sales slip slightly in March  
You are here: 　 Home

FTSE 100 closes higher on Thursday

Xinhua, April 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

FTSE 100 Index, Britain's benchmark stock market gauge, increased by 0.36 percent, or 25.43 points, to 7,053.67 points, on Thursday on account of Chinese stimulus expectation.

Operating conditions of Chinese manufacturers declined to a one-year low in April, raising hopes for further stimulus from China.

According to a press release co-issued by HSBC and Markit Economics, the flash reading of Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector stood at 49.2 in April, down from a final reading of 49.6 in March.

Anglo American's share price increased by an impressive 4.73 percent, topping the gainers of the blue chips. Antofagasta, Fresnillo, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton increased by 4.67 percent, 3.49 percent, 3.30 percent and 3.27 percent respectively.

Legal & General Group led the top losers of the blue chips with a share price drop of 4.37 percent, followed by Old Mutual (2.69 percent), Sports Direct International (2.30 percent), Mondi (2.29 percent) and Johnson Matthey (1.76 percent).

The index has gained 8.48 percent so far this year when measured in U.S. dollars. Endit