Britain's top share index ended higher on Monday, with mining companies tracking a rally in metals prices after the FBI again said no charges regarding her email practices would be brought again Hillary Clinton, viewed by markets as a status quo candidate with more predictable policies.
Financial stocks were helped by a jump in HSBC shares after it reported results. The bluechip FTSE 100 index, up nearly 8 percent this year, closed 1.7 percent higher after falling for a fifth straight session on Friday to a seven-week low. The mid-cap index also advanced to close up 1.1 percent.
HSBC was the standout performer, jumping 4.6 percent and recording its biggest one-day rise since mid-April, after reporting a rise in its core capital ratio and improving the outlook for near-term dividend payments. The UK banks index closed more than 3 percent stronger, the biggest one-day gain in three months. "If you look at the underlying numbers, actually those showed that if you strip out the one-off items, revenues were up, costs were down and profits were up, and those are three things that markets like," said Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
Last week, the FTSE 100 recorded its biggest weekly loss since January as markets were hit by jitters before the US presidential election. Nerves settled on Monday, after the FBI said for the second time no criminal charges would be brought after an investigation of Clinton's email.
"A second all-clear for Hillary Clinton from the FBI has seen renewed market confidence that the Democratic nominee will take the White House," said Accendo Markets analyst Henry Croft. Mining stocks were among the biggest gainers on the index, with Glencore, BHP Billiton, Antofagasta , Rio Tinto and Anglo American all up 3.6 to 6.3 percent as the prices of underlying commodities rose on increased hopes of a Clinton presidency.
Markets are attempting to strike a balance between a Clinton win and the possibility of a sell-off in commodities if Republican Donald Trump is elected. The UK mining index surged 3.9 percent. However, shares in precious metals miners Fresnillo and Randgold Resources were down 3 percent and 1.7 percent respectively as investors dumped perceived safe-haven assets such as gold. UK grocer Tesco also retreated, by 1.1 percent, after Tesco Bank temporarily blocked online transactions. Around 20,000 of its customers had money removed from their accounts in an attack by fraudsters over the weekend.
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