Markets: FTSE 100 closes higher as European markets fall

FTSE 100 up 0.3% to 6,630
Gold down 0.23% to $1,166.20
£/$ - 1.5609

The FTSE 100 climbed higher yesterday, adding a further 0.3% to close at 6,630, while European and US markets fell.

BP was the day's highest climber, up 4.4% after agreeing to pay penalties of $18.7bn in settlement of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Other top performers included RSA Insurance, which gained 2%, and National Grid, which added 1.9%.

In Europe's markets yesterday, the Paris CAC 40 fell 1% to 4,835, and the German Xetra Dax was 0.7% lower at 11,099.

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In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.2% to 17,730, the S&P 500 lost 0.6% to 2,076, and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.1% lower at 5,009.

Overnight in Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.1% to 20,539, and the broader Topix index added 0.2% to 1,652. And in China, the CSI 300 fell 5.4% to 3,885, and the Shanghai Composite lost 5.8% to 3,686.

Brent spot was trading at $61.70 early today, and in New York, crude oil was at $56.56. Spot gold was trading at $1,168 an ounce, silver was at $15.66, and platinum was at $1,082.

In the forex markets this morning, sterling was trading against the US dollar at 1.5615 and against the euro at 1.4053. The dollar was trading at 0.9000 against the euro and 123.11against the Japanese yen.

And in the UK, Ofcom, the communications regulator, has fined mobile phone network EE £1m for serious failings' in the way it handles customer complaints. The company has 20 days to pay the fine.

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