UK shares end year on high note
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The FTSE 100 gains 7.5% in value over 2004 in a year tainted by high oil prices and rising interest rates.
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Leading shares closed off earlier highs but still on a bullish note, as increased activity in mergers and acquisitions boosted stocks.
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Stocks opened a touch higher Friday in  what is set to be a thinly traded final session as investors  wind down for the year -- with all three indices on course to  end higher for 2004 as a whole.
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European shares ended higher on Monday, buoyed by takeover activity as the London Stock Exchange hit a record high after Euronext made a bid approach, while drug makers recovered from a sharp fall.
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UK blue chips closed higher, reflecting a strong start on Wall Street and ahead of the Independence Day holiday, with investors shrugging of nerves ahead of Thursday&#39;s UK interest rate decision.
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European shares hit fresh six-and-a-half year highs on Monday amid gains in the financials sector.
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Britain's FTSE 100 index  rose 0.3 percent in early trading on Wednesday as European and Asian bourses swept to multi-year highs and as ICI  leapt more than 9 percent on a sale of one of its units.
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UK blue chips closed higher, but off peaks, as early strength on Wall Street evaporated on rising oil prices, while solid full year numbers from BAE and Centrica held the index in positive territory.
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Shares finished higher Thursday as investors set aside concerns about downbeat economic reports and focused on Oracleâs strong profits statement.
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Leading shares closed higher, boosted by a solid rally on Wall Street and strength in mining and media stocks, offsetting yet another spike in the London price of oil, dealers said.
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Asia&#39;s biggest stock exchange finished its final day of trading for the year on a high note Thursday, with stocks rallying to cap a year during which the benchmark gained nearly 8 percent on hopes Japan&#39;s economy is rebounding.
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Leading shares ended higher, bolstered by strength in energy stocks and M&amp;A hopes in utilities, but earlier gains were tempered by a mixed Wall Street after blue chips touched levels not seen since September 2000.
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Sharp gains for oil majors helped the FTSE 100 close higher Thursday for a sixth straight session.
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The FTSE 100 index closed higher again, ending the last full session before Christmas at a five-week high, supported by a positive morning on Wall Street and gains by blue-chip heavyweights Shell and mmO2, dealers said.
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Leading British blue chips extended gains in late trade to close markedly higher, taking heart from strong gains across US markets led by gains in telecoms on positive earnings news and mergers and acquisition speculation, dealers said.
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A buoyant energy sector combined with a minor rally on Wall Street helped the FTSE 100 close in positive territory on Thursday.
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Business as usual leads to unusually high stock gains for investors.