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* FTSE 100 up 0.2%, FTSE 250 adds 0.1%
June 15 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 index edged higher on
Tuesday, lifted by gains in consumer staples and healthcare
stocks, though domestically focused mid-cap shares lagged as the
UK government delayed plans to fully lift the remaining COVID-19
restrictions.
The blue-chip index rose 0.2%, with large dollar
earning companies including Diageo, Unilever
and British American Tobacco providing the biggest
boost.
The pharmaceutical sub-index added 0.5%, with
AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline leading the
gains. The index is just off 16-month highs hit on Monday.
The domestically focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index
advanced just 0.1% however after Prime Minister Boris Johnson
delayed plans to lift most remaining COVID-19 restrictions by a
month, citing the rapid spread of the more infectious Delta
variant.
There was good news however on the jobs front, as the number
of employees on British company payrolls surged by a record
197,000 in May as COVID restrictions eased, tax data showed.
Headline unemployment rate for the three months to April fell to
4.7%, its lowest since August.
Among stocks, BATM Advanced Communications climbed
4.4% after it received a $4.1 million cyber security contract.
The easing of lockdown curbs also benefited online fashion
retailer Boohoo which posted a 32% quarterly rise in
sales despite a tough year-on-year comparison. Boohoo shares
fell 0.6% however.
(Reporting by Devik Jain in Bengaluru)
