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* FTSE 100 up 0.6%, FTSE 250 adds 0.4%
March 15 (Reuters) - UK shares inched higher on Monday,
supported by consumer staples and industrials stocks as the
economic recovery gathered pace, while recruiter SThree rose
after its performance returned to pre-pandemic levels in the
first quarter.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index .FTSE climbed 0.6%, with
consumer staples including Diageo Plc DGE.L.L , Unilever Plc
ULVR.L and Ocado Group OCDO.L being the biggest gainers on
the index. MET/L
The domestically focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index .FTMC rose
0.4%, led by gains in industrials stocks.
British businesses are more likely to expect a rebound in
activity this year than their counterparts abroad, and
expectations of a pick-up in growth are stronger than at any
point since 2015, a survey showed. Food delivery company Deliveroo plans to sell around 1
billion pounds ($1.39 billion) of new shares in its upcoming
initial public offering, expected to be the biggest London
listing in more than seven years. SThree STEMS.L rose 0.6%, after saying its first-quarter
performance had returned to pre-pandemic levels and exceeded its
expectations.