Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the Healthcare Equipment & Services , Aerospace & Defense and Banking sectors led shares higher.

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

The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Smith & Nephew PLC (LON: SN ), which rose 6.13% or 64.00 points to trade at 1,107.50 at the close. Meanwhile, BAE Systems PLC (LON: BAES ) added 4.67% or 61.00 points to end at 1,366.00 and HSBC Holdings PLC (LON: HSBA ) was up 2.48% or 21.80 points to 899.50 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Rio Tinto PLC (LON: RIO ), which fell 3.34% or 167.00 points to trade at 4,840.00 at the close. Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust PLC (LON: SMT ) declined 3.21% or 34.50 points to end at 1,039.50 and Flutter Entertainment PLC (LON: FLTRF ) was down 3.13% or 670.00 points to 20,750.00.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the London Stock Exchange by 997 to 774 and 608 ended unchanged.

Shares in HSBC Holdings PLC (LON: HSBA ) rose to 5-year highs; gaining 2.48% or 21.80 to 899.50.

Gold Futures for April delivery was down 1.92% or 56.86 to $2,906.34 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in April fell 2.66% or 1.88 to hit $68.82 a barrel, while the May Brent oil contract fell 2.62% or 1.95 to trade at $72.36 a barrel.

GBP/USD was unchanged 0.08% to 1.26, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.11% to 0.83.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.07% at 106.43.