UK stocks moved sharply higher on the last full trading day before Christmas as hopes were raised that a Brexit trade deal could be within reach.
The UK and EU are continuing talks on post-Brexit trade, amid an increasing number of reports that they are close to agreeing a deal.
The UK’s benchmark FTSE 100 index gained 0.66% to 6,495.75, while the more domestically-focused FTSE 250 - considered a barometer for Brexit sentiment - soared 1.74% to 20,297.76.
In corporate news, oil company Cairn Energy (CNE) jumped 34.54% to 223.2p after it won a long-running international arbitration case against the Indian government and was awarded $1.2 billion in damages plus interest and costs.
Cairn had been fighting against a large Indian capital gains tax bill since 2015.
Pub owner Marstons (MARS) advanced 8.56% to 74.8p as it agreed to operate Brain's portfolio of 156 pubs in Wales, for an undisclosed sum, on a combination of leased and management contract arrangements.
Brains, a family business established in Cardiff in 1882, had been under financial pressure due to the pandemic. Its 1,300 staff would transfer to Marstons.
Commercial property company British Land (BLND) climbed 2.92% to 497.7p having agreed to sell its 75% stake in a portfolio of three buildings in London's West End to Allianz Real Estate for £401 million.
Software group Sage (SGE) shed 0.81% to 586.8p following news that it had agreed to sell its businesses in Asia and Australia to The Access Group for around £95 million.
Sage had told the market in November that it was holding the businesses for sale.
Property investor CLS Holdings (CLI) rose 1.42% to 214p having agreed to acquire an office building in Essen, Germany for €38.2 million.
Infrastructure investment company International Public Partnerships (INPP) dipped 0.24% to 164.4p after it pledged additional investments into the Northern Diabolo rail link in Belgium.
Cell-based therapies group MaxCyte (MXCT:AIM) jumped 59.65% to 500p on guiding for annual financial results at its core life sciences business ahead of market expectations.
Pharmaceutical services group Open Orphan (ORPH:AIM) added 3.9% to 24p after 63%-owned drug development company PrEP Biopharm completed a toxicology study for a novel pan-viral prophylactic asset.
The animal model study provided safety data needed to move into longer duration dosing in clinical studies to validate efficacy against respiratory viruses, including Covid-19, influenza and the common cold.
