(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock
markets, click LIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window)
* BoE expected to ramp up asset purchase programme
* Crest Nicholson surges on upbeat profit outlook
* Regus operator IWG jumps as it sees improving sales
activity
* EU, UK so far fail to bridge gaps to clasp trade deal
* FTSE 100 up 2.3%, FTSE 250 adds 1.8%
(Updates prices to close, adds comments)
By Devik Jain and Shreyashi Sanyal
Nov 3 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 scored its biggest
one-day percentage gain in nearly two months on Tuesday, getting
a boost from banks on rising bets of more stimulus measures to
soften the economic blow from a new wave of coronavirus
infections.
The blue-chip index closed up 2.3% as banks
jumped 4.7% to their highest in nearly three
months.
The mid-cap FTSE 250 rose 1.8%, with shares in Crest
Nicholson Holdings Plc surging 16.5% after the
homebuilder forecast annual profit ahead of market expectations
and reinstated its dividend.
The wider homebuilding sub-index gained 1.9%.
UK shares have made a strong start to November after ending
October with their biggest monthly decline since the
coronavirus-fuelled crash in March, with traders counting on
more monetary and fiscal measures to support businesses impacted
by a new round of nationwide lockdowns.
At its policy meeting on Nov. 5, the Bank of England is
expected to ramp up its bond-buying programme.
Focus this week is also on the U.S. presidential election,
with Democrat contender Joe Biden leading Republican President
Donald Trump in national opinion polls, but the race looked
close in key battleground states.
"Anticipating a blue wave (Democrat victory), the markets
went all in on a green tsunami ... as the Western indices
continued to aggressively rebound from their nightmarish end to
October," said Connor Campbell, financial analyst at Spreadex in
London.
British office space provider IWG jumped 8.2% after
it said it had started seeing some improvement in its sales
activity and highlighted increasing interest in flexible
working.
G4S Plc rose 3.1% after the private security firm
rejected a takeover proposal from U.S. rival Allied Universal
Security Services.
Separately, the European Union and Britain have so far
failed to reach agreement on three persistent sticking points in
talks, both sides said, suggesting any breakthrough in securing
a trade deal is still a way off.
(Reporting by Devik Jain and Shreyashi Sanyal in Bengaluru;
Editing by Rashmi Aich and Mark Potter)
