Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Beverage , Mobile Telecommunications and Healthcare Equipment & Services sectors led shares higher.

At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 rose 0.04%.

The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Standard Chartered PLC (LON: STAN ), which rose 3.77% or 43.00 points to trade at 1,183.00 at the close. Meanwhile, NatWest Group PLC (LON: NWG ) added 3.60% or 15.70 points to end at 451.80 and Diageo PLC (LON: DGE ) was up 3.13% or 66.50 points to 2,190.00 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were British American Tobacco PLC (LON: BATS ), which fell 2.31% or 70.00 points to trade at 2,965.00 at the close. BAE Systems PLC (LON: BAES ) declined 2.22% or 28.50 points to end at 1,255.50 and Imperial Brands PLC (LON: IMB ) was down 2.08% or 57.00 points to 2,684.00.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the London Stock Exchange by 912 to 811 and 660 ended unchanged.

Shares in Standard Chartered PLC (LON: STAN ) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 3.77% or 43.00 to 1,183.00. Shares in NatWest Group PLC (LON: NWG ) rose to 5-year highs; up 3.60% or 15.70 to 451.80.

Gold Futures for April delivery was down 0.18% or 5.21 to $2,950.89 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April fell 2.12% or 1.54 to hit $70.94 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract fell 1.99% or 1.52 to trade at $74.96 a barrel.

GBP/USD was unchanged 0.18% to 1.26, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.22% to 0.83.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.30% at 106.59.