FTSE 100 hits nine-month high

The leading index of the British Stock Exchange FTSE 100 reached a 9-month high today at 7,656.70. The index was supported by shares of the oil and gas giant Shell and other commodity companies. Also, the dynamics of the index today may be influenced by a key report on the US labor market: it may shed light on the pace of further Fed rate hikes.

The blue chip index rose 0.32%, continuing to rise for the fourth consecutive session. Analysts note that the FTSE 100 growth for the week may be the highest in two months. At the same time, the domestic-oriented FTSE 250 (index of mid-cap companies) sank by 0.3%.

As we have already indicated, the driver for the FTSE 100 growth was the rise in the price of shares of the Shell Plc oil company: the securities rose by 1.35% to $26.62. The company said that profits in the LNG trading segment most likely grew strongly in the fourth quarter of last year.

Additional support was provided by the fact that the shares of the mining sector were among the leaders at today's auction. Shares of suppliers of precious and non-ferrous metals rose by more than 1% on the background of rising prices for the corresponding raw materials.