United Kingdom: Stocks Close Slightly Higher.

The FTSE 100 finished about 0.2% up at 10,386 on Monday, just shy from record levels, after a slight dip by midday, supported by miners and defense stocks. Copper miner Antofagasta led the gains, surging 6.6%, tracking gains in the metal. Precious metal producers Fresnillo and Endeavour Mining followed closely, up 5.9% and 5.5%, respectively, tracking prices of silver and gold. Diversified miners such as Glencore, Rio Tinto, and Anglo American also posted solid increases, ranging from 3% to 4.8%. Aerospace firms Rolls-Royce (+3.7%), BAE Systems (+3.4%), and Babcock (+2.7%) . On the flip side, NatWest slumped 6% after saying it was buying UK wealth manager Evelyn Partners from funds advised by Permira and Warburg Pincus for GBP 2.7bn and launching a new GBP 750m share buyback. Meanwhile, Investors kept a close eye on the UK political turmoil amid the Mandelson scandal. The Prime Minister is due to speak to the parliamentary Labour Party later today after senior staff departures.