By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- U.K.'s FTSE 100 index trimmed its weekly
decline on Friday, as oil firms rose alongside higher oil prices
and Tate & Lyle PLC advanced after a well-received trading
update.
The FTSE 100 index added 0.1% to 6,454.58, but is still on track
for a 0.9% weekly loss.
Shares of Tate & Lyle climbed 2% after the sweetener maker
said its performance in the second quarter was broadly in line with
expectations.
Oil firms also helped push the London benchmark higher, as oil
rose. Shares of Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB) gained 0.5% and BP PLC
(BP) put on 0.3%.
More broadly, the U.K. stock market struggled for direction as
the budget standoff in the U.S. continued and kept the U.S.
government shut down for a fourth day. Due to the shutdown, the
monthly jobs report containing fresh data on nonfarm payrolls and
the unemployment rate won't be released on Friday as scheduled.
Some banks were higher, while mining firms were on the decline
as metals prices traded mixed. Shares of Royal Bank of Scotland
Group PLC (RBS) gained 1.1%, and banking heavyweight HSBC Holdings
PLC (HBC) added 0.9%.
In the mining sector, Vedanta Resources PLC dropped 1%, Rio
Tinto PLC (RIO) lost 0.5%, and BHP Billiton PLC (BHP) fell
0.4%.
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