By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index rose for a
third straight day on Friday, ahead of the closely watched U.S.
jobs data that investors hope will confirm the labor market is in
solid shape.
The London benchmark index gained 0.6% to 6,593.38, setting it
on track for a 0.6% weekly advance.
Markets across Europe rose on Thursday on hopes the European
Central Bank will launch a full-blown quantitative easing program,
after President Mario Draghi reiterated that more stimulus moves
are on the cards if that is needed to revive the region's sluggish
economy.
On Friday, the main event is the nonfarm-payrolls report from
the U.S. due at 1:30 p.m. London time, or 8:30 a.m. Eastern
Time.
Among major stock moves, mining shares advanced as most metals
prices headed north. Shares of Rio Tinto PLC (RIO) picked up 2.8%,
Glencore PLC (GLCNF) added 2.7% and BHP Billiton PLC (BHP) gained
2.4%.
But shares of Admiral Group PLC lost 1.8% after the car insurer
reported a drop in third-quarter revenue.
In other London news, real-estate company Songbird Estates PLC ,
which owns 69% of Canary Wharf, rejected a takeover bid from the
Qatar Investment Authority.
In U.K. data, the Office for National Statistics said the gap
between how much the U.K. buys abroad and what it exports continued
to widen in September, with the trade deficit for goods rising to
9.8 billion pound ($15.5 billion).
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