UK Market Higher, Miners Rise

(RTTNews) - The UK market was modestly higher in thin trade on the day prior to Christmas, even as many traders chose to stay away.

On a light day for economic news, the British Bankers' Association said UK house purchase approvals unexpectedly declined in November, after a rebound in the previous month.

The number of approvals for house purchase fell to a seasonally adjusted 44,960 from 45,463 in October, revised from 45,437. Economists had forecast a higher figure of 46,000.

The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks fell 0.11 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, slid 0.21 percent.

The FTSE 100 index rose about 0.1 percent.

BG Group, BP and Royal Dutch Shell gained between 1.5 percent and 1.2 percent.

BHP, Anglo American and Rio Tinto also were trading above the unchanged line.

The Asian stocks ended mixed as regional gains were tempered by losses in mainland China and Japan before the holiday period.

In the U.S., futures point to a guarded open on Wall Street to the shortened session. In the previous session, the Dow climbed 1.1 percent, the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.9 percent and the S&P 500 advanced 1.2 percent.

Crude for February delivery rose $0.30 to $37.80 per barrel, while February gold added $5.1 to $1073.4 a troy ounce.