(Reuters) -British equities ended higher on Monday with heavyweight healthcare companies leading gains in the benchmark index, while U.S. trade policy developments remained in focus.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 was nearly flat but posted its 11th consecutive winning session. The index also posted its longest winning streak since December 2019.
The midcap FTSE 250 gained 0.6%.
Healthcare stocks gained 1.1%, with AstraZeneca and GSK boosting the highest gains in the FTSE 100, up 1.2% and 1.4% respectively.
Market sentiment was supported by signs of easing U.S.-China trade tensions last week. However, uncertainties about the global trade war continued.
Entain finished up 6.8%, after the British gambling firm’s joint venture with MGM Resorts, BetMGM, swung to first-quarter profit in an e-betting surge.
Deliveroo jumped 16.5%, leading the gains on the midcap index, after confirming on Friday that it had received a takeover proposal from U.S. peer DoorDash on April 5.
On the data side, British retail sales volumes fell by the smallest amount since October this month but stores expect conditions to worsen next month, according to a survey that reflected concerns about growth and consumer confidence.
Britain has proposed a broad statement of shared values with the European Union that emphasises support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the Paris Climate Agreement and open and free trade, according to a draft document seen by Reuters.
Although it does not mention the Trump administration by name, several elements of the text present a striking contrast to current U.S. policies.
Separately, trade ministers of UK and India began two days of talks to conclude more than three years of negotiations on a trade pact, under additional pressure to reach a deal because of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on exports to the U.S.
(Reporting by Sanchayaita Roy and Ragini Mathur in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K, William Maclean)
