United Kingdom: FTSE 100 Rises to 4-Month High.

The FTSE 100 rose 0.3% to 10679 on Friday, the highest since March 2 and following a 1.7% advance on Thursday. Utility companies were among the best performers, with SSE climbing around 1.5%, National Grid adding 1.3%, Centrica expanding 1.1%, and Severn Trent rising over 0.5%. Also, mining stocks supported the upward trajectory, as precious metals miner Fresnillo rose more than 1%, while Anglo American advanced by over 1%. Overall market trading volumes were thin due to the US Independence Day public holiday closure. For the week, the UK index added 1.6%, following a 1.4% rise in the previous period.