FTSE 100 at 18-month high after cliff deal, data

By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch

LONDON (MarketWatch) — The mining sector boosted U.K. stocks Wednesday, keying off data that showed China’s manufacturing sector continued to expand in December and as U.S. policy makers hammered out a last-minute deal to avert the fiscal cliff.

The FTSE 100 index /quotes/zigman/3173262 UK:UKX +2.20%  jumped 2.2% to close at 6,027.37, as the benchmark touched the 6,000 level for the first tine since early in July 2011.

Click to Play

Markets welcome fiscal-cliff deal

The Senate and the House of Representatives both approve a bipartisan deal to block most impending tax increases and postpone spending cuts. What’s the deal means for the U.S. deficit?

Shares of Rio Tinto PLC /quotes/zigman/155899 UK:RIO +5.11%   /quotes/zigman/182541/quotes/nls/rio RIO +3.15%   /quotes/zigman/176317 AU:RIO +2.48%  rose 5.1%, as fellow heavyweight miner BHP Billiton PLC /quotes/zigman/184879 UK:BLT +3.71%   /quotes/zigman/270355/quotes/nls/bhp BHP +1.93%   /quotes/zigman/180893 AU:BHP +0.79%  added 3.7%. Anglo American PLC /quotes/zigman/470624 UK:AAL +5.78%  also rallied, up 5.8%, as Antofagasta PLC /quotes/zigman/139152 UK:ANTO +4.31%  gained 4.3%.

Metals futures traded mostly higher in the first session of 2013. See: Gold futures rise as Congress passes budget deal

The mining gains came as China’s official monthly manufacturing survey came in unchanged in December but still showed the sector remained in expansion territory. See: China's official December manufacturing PMI unchanged

On the data front in the U.K., the CIPS/Markit manufacturing PMI rose to 51.4 in December, moving above the 50-point threshold that separates expansion from contraction and marking a 15-month high.

Energy shares were also on the rise, tracking gains for oil prices. See: Crude futures top $93 after U.S. fiscal-cliff pact

Shares of BG Group PLC /quotes/zigman/249967 UK:BG +0.94%  picked up 0.9%, with BP PLC /quotes/zigman/210014 UK:BP +1.53%   /quotes/zigman/247026/quotes/nls/bp BP +1.87%  gaining 1.5%. The latter said the Skarv oil field in the Norwegian Sea started production on Dec. 31

Reuters

Enlarge Image

BP says the Skarv oil field has come successfully into production.

A London laggard was Royal Dutch Shell PLC /quotes/zigman/359955 UK:RDSB +0.21%   /quotes/zigman/379012/quotes/nls/rds.b RDS.B +0.23% , its shares edging 0.2% higher. See on WSJ.com: Shell Arctic rig runs aground off Alaska.

The positive trading mood also came as investors welcomed a U.S. budget deal after days of feverish negotiations about how to avert the fiscal cliff of spending cuts and tax hikes, which would have gone into effect at the start of the new year. See: Fiscal-cliff deal passes Congress

Banking shares cheered the turn of events in Washington.

Barclays PLC /quotes/zigman/301787 UK:BARC +5.03%   /quotes/zigman/152323/quotes/nls/bcs BCS +3.70%  gained 5%, Lloyds Banking Group PLC /quotes/zigman/126322 UK:LLOY +3.70%   /quotes/zigman/255656/quotes/nls/lyg LYG +2.50%  rose 3.7% and Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC /quotes/zigman/359955 UK:RDSB +0.21%   /quotes/zigman/379012/quotes/nls/rds.b RDS.B +0.23%  picked up 3%, with sector heavyweight HSBC Holdings PLC /quotes/zigman/13843 UK:HSBA +2.91%   /quotes/zigman/207333/quotes/nls/hbc HBC +2.30%   /quotes/zigman/13834 HK:5 +0.12%  adding 2.9%.

Among other notable gainers in London, shares of Weir Group PLC /quotes/zigman/130249 UK:WEIR +4.84%  rose 4.8% after the engineering firm said it sold LGE Process to Babcock International Group PLC /quotes/zigman/269266 UK:BAB +3.11%  for 23 million pounds ($37.5 million).

Babcock’s shares also gained ground, up 3.1%.

/quotes/zigman/3173262

Add to portfolio UK:UKX

FTSE 100 Index GBP

UK : FTSE Indices

6,027.37

+129.56 +2.20%

Volume: 0.00

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

/quotes/zigman/155899

Add to portfolio UK:RIO

Rio Tinto PLC

UK : U.K.: London

3,691.00 p

+179.50 +5.11%

Volume: 5.57M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

2.52%

Market Cap

£49.55 billion

Rev. per Employee

£527,959

/quotes/zigman/182541/quotes/nls/rio

Add to portfolio RIO

Rio Tinto PLC ADS

US : U.S.: NYSE

$ 59.92

+1.83 +3.15%

Volume: 2.46M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:05p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

2.47%

Market Cap

$80.55 billion

Rev. per Employee

$836,487

/quotes/zigman/176317

Add to portfolio AU:RIO

Rio Tinto Ltd.

AU : Australia: Sydney

$ 69.30

+1.68 +2.48%

Volume: 1.84M

Jan. 3, 2013 3:40p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

N/A

Market Cap

$28.76 billion

Rev. per Employee

$811,248

/quotes/zigman/184879

Add to portfolio UK:BLT

BHP Billiton PLC

UK : U.K.: London

2,208.50 p

+79.00 +3.71%

Volume: 5.04M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

97.29

Dividend Yield

N/A

Market Cap

£44.98 billion

Rev. per Employee

£983,627

/quotes/zigman/270355/quotes/nls/bhp

Add to portfolio BHP

BHP Billiton Ltd. ADS

US : U.S.: NYSE

$ 79.93

+1.51 +1.93%

Volume: 1.93M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:01p

P/E Ratio

157.10

Dividend Yield

2.85%

Market Cap

$124.20 billion

Rev. per Employee

$1.56M

/quotes/zigman/180893

Add to portfolio AU:BHP

BHP Billiton Ltd.

AU : Australia: Sydney

$ 38.14

+0.30 +0.79%

Volume: 5.40M

Jan. 3, 2013 3:40p

P/E Ratio

108.17

Dividend Yield

N/A

Market Cap

$119.63 billion

Rev. per Employee

$1.51M

/quotes/zigman/470624

Add to portfolio UK:AAL

Anglo American PLC

UK : U.K.: London

2,003.50 p

+109.50 +5.78%

Volume: 4.15M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

N/A

Market Cap

£26.34 billion

Rev. per Employee

£183,228

/quotes/zigman/139152

Add to portfolio UK:ANTO

Antofagasta PLC

UK : U.K.: London

1,381.00 p

+57.00 +4.31%

Volume: 1.59M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

0.76%

Market Cap

£13.05 billion

Rev. per Employee

£787,887

/quotes/zigman/249967

Add to portfolio UK:BG.

BG Group PLC

UK : U.K.: London

1,022.00 p

+9.50 +0.94%

Volume: 6.89M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

14.14

Dividend Yield

1.50%

Market Cap

£34.44 billion

Rev. per Employee

£2.17M

/quotes/zigman/210014

Add to portfolio UK:BP.

BP PLC

UK : U.K.: London

431.30 p

+6.50 +1.53%

Volume: 17.14M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

7.23

Dividend Yield

5.18%

Market Cap

£81.29 billion

Rev. per Employee

£2.83M

/quotes/zigman/247026/quotes/nls/bp

Add to portfolio BP

BP PLC ADS

US : U.S.: NYSE

$ 42.42

+0.78 +1.87%

Volume: 5.94M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:00p

P/E Ratio

7.59

Dividend Yield

5.09%

Market Cap

$132.14 billion

Rev. per Employee

$4.42M

/quotes/zigman/359955

Add to portfolio UK:RDSB

Royal Dutch Shell PLC B

UK : U.K.: London

2,179.50 p

+4.50 +0.21%

Volume: 3.15M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

6.76

Dividend Yield

4.93%

Market Cap

£136.99 billion

Rev. per Employee

£3.28M

/quotes/zigman/379012/quotes/nls/rds.b

Add to portfolio RDS.B

Royal Dutch Shell PLC ADS B

US : U.S.: NYSE

$ 71.05

+0.16 +0.23%

Volume: 711,250

Jan. 2, 2013 4:05p

P/E Ratio

7.05

Dividend Yield

4.84%

Market Cap

$222.67 billion

Rev. per Employee

$5.13M

/quotes/zigman/301787

Add to portfolio UK:BARC

Barclays PLC

UK : U.K.: London

275.60 p

+13.20 +5.03%

Volume: 59.20M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

275.60

Dividend Yield

1.45%

Market Cap

£32.12 billion

Rev. per Employee

£276,634

/quotes/zigman/152323/quotes/nls/bcs

Add to portfolio BCS

Barclays PLC ADS

US : U.S.: NYSE

$ 17.96

+0.64 +3.70%

Volume: 3.72M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:01p

P/E Ratio

295.39

Dividend Yield

1.43%

Market Cap

$52.22 billion

Rev. per Employee

$437,826

/quotes/zigman/126322

Add to portfolio UK:LLOY

Lloyds Banking Group PLC

UK : U.K.: London

49.69 p

+1.78 +3.70%

Volume: 137.33M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

N/A

Market Cap

£33.74 billion

Rev. per Employee

£360,302

/quotes/zigman/255656/quotes/nls/lyg

Add to portfolio LYG

Lloyds Banking Group PLC ADS

US : U.S.: NYSE

$ 3.28

+0.08 +2.50%

Volume: 2.09M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:06p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

N/A

Market Cap

$54.85 billion

Rev. per Employee

$574,687

/quotes/zigman/359955

Add to portfolio UK:RDSB

Royal Dutch Shell PLC B

UK : U.K.: London

2,179.50 p

+4.50 +0.21%

Volume: 3.15M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

6.76

Dividend Yield

4.93%

Market Cap

£136.99 billion

Rev. per Employee

£3.28M

/quotes/zigman/379012/quotes/nls/rds.b

Add to portfolio RDS.B

Royal Dutch Shell PLC ADS B

US : U.S.: NYSE

$ 71.05

+0.16 +0.23%

Volume: 711,250

Jan. 2, 2013 4:05p

P/E Ratio

7.05

Dividend Yield

4.84%

Market Cap

$222.67 billion

Rev. per Employee

$5.13M

/quotes/zigman/13843

Add to portfolio UK:HSBA

HSBC Holdings PLC (UK Reg)

UK : U.K.: London

665.70 p

+18.80 +2.91%

Volume: 18.05M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

15.68

Dividend Yield

3.37%

Market Cap

£119.86 billion

Rev. per Employee

£241,978

/quotes/zigman/207333/quotes/nls/hbc

Add to portfolio HBC

HSBC Holdings PLC ADS

US : U.S.: NYSE

$ 54.29

+1.22 +2.30%

Volume: 1.59M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:05p

P/E Ratio

16.32

Dividend Yield

3.32%

Market Cap

$194.83 billion

Rev. per Employee

$377,633

/quotes/zigman/13834

Add to portfolio HK:5

HSBC Holdings PLC (HK Reg)

HK : Hong Kong

HK$ 83.30

+0.10 +0.12%

Volume: 8.32M

Jan. 3, 2013 11:59a

P/E Ratio

16.02

Dividend Yield

3.26%

Market Cap

HK$1510.09 billion

Rev. per Employee

HK$2.96M

/quotes/zigman/130249

Add to portfolio UK:WEIR

Weir Group PLC Sub Div

UK : U.K.: London

1,970.00 p

+91.00 +4.84%

Volume: 932,926

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

0.81%

Market Cap

£3.99 billion

Rev. per Employee

£221,621

/quotes/zigman/269266

Add to portfolio UK:BAB

Babcock International Group PLC

UK : U.K.: London

995.50 p

+30.00 +3.11%

Volume: 1.14M

Jan. 2, 2013 4:35p

P/E Ratio

N/A

Dividend Yield

1.27%

Market Cap

£3.48 billion

Rev. per Employee

£110,393