UK shares jump as mining stocks track commodity price gains By Reuters

(Reuters) – British stocks rose on Tuesday and were set for a fourth straight session of gains as mining stocks tracked a rise in commodity prices, while Glencore (LON:GLEN) reinstating its dividend further boosted sentiment.

The commodity-heavy FTSE 100 was up 0.6% by 0806 GMT, supported by miners Anglo American (LON:AAL), Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) and oil producers BP (LON:BP) and Royal Dutch Shell (LON:RDSa).

Financial stocks were also among the biggest gainers on the index in early trading.

Glencore added 3.7% as it reinstated its dividend after its net debt fell by 10% in 2020, helped by surging commodity prices in the second half.

The mid-cap FTSE 250 index added 0.4%.

In company news, drugmaker AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) rose 0.2%, after the World Health Organization (WHO) listed its COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, widening access to the relatively inexpensive shot in the developing world.

BHP Group fell 0.2% even after the miner reported its best first-half profit in seven years and declared a record interim dividend.