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LONDON (AFP) –
The leading stock exchange finished higher on Wednesday, following better-than-expected third-quarter GDP (gross domestic product) data and a boost in US consumer spending.
The FTSE 100 index closed at 5,364.81, up 0.77 percent .
The British economy shrank by 0.3 percent in the third quarter, compared with output in the previous three months, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement.
This was an improvement on an initial ONS estimate given last month that said the economy had contracted by 0.4 percent between July and September.
Lloyds bank was the most traded stock, seeing 149 million units change hands, followed by mobile phone giant Vodafone, which saw 114 million shares switch owners.
Catering group Compass topped the leaderboard, gaining 24.60 pence -- or 6.12 percent -- to finish at 426.60 after announcing that annual net profits jumped 32 percent to 586 million pounds in the year ending September 30.
The day's second-best performer was pest control firm Rentokill, up 3.30 pence -- or 3.27 percent -- to stand at 104.20.
The biggest loser of the day was hedge fund firm Man Group, which lost 17 pence -- or 4.89 percent -- to close at 330.50.
It was followed by platinum refiner Johnson Matthey, which shed 62 pence -- or 3.90 percent -- to finish at 1529.
