Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Mobile Telecommunications , Mining and Pharmaceuticals & Biotech sectors led shares higher.

At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 added 0.09%.

The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Vodafone Group PLC (LON: VOD ), which rose 4.60% or 3.22 points to trade at 73.28 at the close. Meanwhile, Antofagasta PLC (LON: ANTO ) added 2.82% or 49.50 points to end at 1,808.00 and BT Group PLC (LON: BT ) was up 2.39% or 3.65 points to 156.40 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Melrose Industries PLC (LON: MRON ), which fell 4.21% or 21.80 points to trade at 496.20 at the close. Hiscox Ltd (LON: HSX ) declined 4.00% or 46.00 points to end at 1,103.00 and Diploma PLC (LON: DPLM ) was down 3.69% or 150.00 points to 3,920.00.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the London Stock Exchange by 1024 to 738 and 623 ended unchanged.

Gold Futures for April delivery was up 1.50% or 44.21 to $2,991.01 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April fell 1.40% or 0.95 to hit $66.73 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract fell 1.30% or 0.92 to trade at $70.03 a barrel.

GBP/USD was unchanged 0.13% to 1.29, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.08% to 0.84.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.15% at 103.74.