By Carla Mozee, MarketWatch
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- U.K. stocks edged higher Thursday, with
the benchmark FTSE 100 leaning toward a sixth consecutive rise, as
investors wait for a highly anticipated policy meeting by the
European Central Bank.
The FTSE 100 gained 0.1% to 6,736.28, with commodity shares
outperforming a decline in prices for oil and most metals. Oil
producer BG Group were up 0.9%, and miner Anglo American PLC picked
up 1.7%.
Royal Mail PLC shares jumped to the top of the British
benchmark. They were up 4.2% after the delivery company backed its
view of 1% revenue growth for the nine months ended Dec. 28, citing
its performance over the Christmas period.
Also higher, shares of RSA Insurance Group PLC rose 2.9%
following a ratings upgrade to outperform from neutral at Credit
Suisse.
But shares of Barclays PLC were off 0.2% after the New York
Attorney General's office on Wednesday filed an amended complaint
that the bank misled clients about the way it ran its dark
pool.
Investors are looking to the ECB, which is widely expected to
announce plans to launch sovereign bond-buying, to provide further
stimulus for the U.K.'s largest trading partner, the eurozone. On
Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported the ECB's executive
board would call for bond purchases of roughly 50 billion euros
($58 billion) a month for a minimum of one year. The policy
decision is expected at 12:45 p.m. London time, or 7:45 a.m.
Eastern Time. ECB President Mario Draghi will hold a press
conference at 1:30 p.m. London time.
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