Advancers
Reuters Group climbed 4.4%. Thomson is in talks to buy Reuters for 8.77 billion pounds, or $17.5 billion, to gain a global news service.
Shares of William Morrison jumped 3.4% after reports that the fourth-biggest U.K. supermarket company may soon get a 9 billion-pound bid from private equity firms or property specialists.
Commodities
Crude oil rose the most in more than a week after a militant group attacked pipelines in Nigeria, Africa biggest crude producer. Crude oil for June delivery was up 13 cents at $61.60 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange in early trading in London. The contract had advanced as much as 43 cents or 0.7% to $61.90, the biggest gain since April. 27. Brent crude oil for June settlement rose as much as 86 cents, or 1.3 %, to $65.30 a barrel on London ICE Futures exchange.
Platinum for immediate delivery dropped $9.50 to $1,331.50 an ounce, after gaining $55, or 4.3%, since April 30. Palladium rose 50 cents to $377.50 an ounce, the fifth straight gain. Gold fell as a rebound in the dollar against the euro may erode investor demand for precious metals as an alternative investment. Gold dropped $2.45, or 0.4%, to $686.30 an ounce, while silver fell 3 cents to $13.475 an ounce.
Currencies
The dollar was mixed against other major currencies in European trading Tuesday morning. The euro traded at $1.3575, down from $1.3603 late Monday in New York. The British pound traded at $1.9935, up from $1.9931. The dollar fetched 119.90 Japanese yen, down from 120.11. |