Vodafone Share News (VOD)

(Sharecast News) - Oil, financial services, telecoms and tech were the driving forces as London's blue chip stocks rallied on Monday.Having hit a four-year high last month and then tanked by almost a third this month, including 6% last Friday, to hit a new 13-month low, crude oil prices picked up on Monday. A barrel of Brent crude was up 3.1% to $60.64 and WTI had added 2.6% to $51.75, based on front-month futures contracts.Crude's rising tide carried producers such as BP, Shell, Premier and Tullow, as well as associated services providers including Wood Group, Petrofac and Hunting.Oil prices were rebounding due to bargain hunting and traders covering their short bets, some observers suggested, while perceptions of geopolitical risk picked up as Russia and Ukraine squared up in the Crimean Sea.However, the backdrop is still "very negative" for oil, said market analyst David Madden at CMC Markets, due to concerns about supply. "That being said, there is speculation that OPEC will announce production cuts at their meeting in December," he countered.Neil Wilson at Markets.com said traders also fear that Saudi Arabia will "bow to US pressure to keep prices low", while talks between Russia and OPEC on curbing output "could hinge on whether the Saudis are willing to antagonise its US ally".Meanwhile, UK banks and other financial services companies were given a fillip as Theresa May's Brexit deal was approved by the European Union leaders on Sunday's summit, even though the Prime Minister still faces a huge battle to get her plans through parliament.Conciliatory talk from the Italian government about its budget was also positive for banks."A lack of trade war headlines and an apparent climbdown from Italy on its budget have helped boost risk appetite, while stocks were undoubtedly beginning to look attractive after weeks of selling," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG. "Whether this lasts any longer than the late-October bounce is still to be seen, but today's price action will likely be regarded as very constructive for the final weeks of 2018."UK tech and telecom stocks were up in line with a Wall Street rally following the pounding taken last week.Vodafone was leading the pack on the back of reports that EU competition regulators will approve Deutsche Telekom's acquisition of Swedish rival Tele2's Dutch unit, according to a Reuters source.The European Commission has been probing the matter over concerns about cutting the number of operators in the market from four to three deal.If the EC's antitrust chiefs allowed that deal to go through, it suggested that other deals on the continent should be able to go ahead, including Vodafone's purchase of assets from Liberty Global. Top performing sectors so far todayOil Equipment, Services & Distribution 12,544.70 +6.28%Mobile Telecommunications 3,632.69 +5.38%Technology Hardware & Equipment 1,017.45 +4.37%Life Insurance 7,465.86 +2.86%Oil & Gas Producers 8,749.79 +2.81%Bottom performing sectors so far todayTobacco 32,015.59 -0.96%Personal Goods 36,303.85 -0.87%Construction & Materials 5,326.64 -0.45%Food & Drug Retailers 3,552.14 -0.26%Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology 15,032.80 -0.25%Market MoversFTSE 100 (UKX) 7,033.66 1.16%FTSE 250 (MCX) 18,708.43 0.95%techMARK (TASX) 3,460.29 0.68%FTSE 100 - RisersWood Group (John) (WG.) 626.80p 6.67%Vodafone Group (VOD) 163.64p 5.49%Fresnillo (FRES) 776.60p 4.05%Prudential (PRU) 1,575.50p 3.75%Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 840.40p 3.45%Kingfisher (KGF) 248.90p 3.28%Standard Life Aberdeen (SLA) 273.25p 3.27%3i Group (III) 867.00p 3.07%HSBC Holdings (HSBA) 673.80p 3.03%St James's Place (STJ) 1,056.50p 2.97%FTSE 100 - FallersMelrose Industries (MRO) 175.15p -3.68%Just Eat (JE.) 582.00p -3.35%Paddy Power Betfair (PPB) 7,030.00p -2.23%Royal Mail (RMG) 333.30p -1.97%Imperial Brands (IMB) 2,431.50p -1.42%Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,829.00p -1.14%Ocado Group (OCDO) 787.20p -0.91%Unilever (ULVR) 4,208.50p -0.87%Next (NXT) 5,152.00p -0.77%BHP Group (BHP) 1,509.00p -0.72%FTSE 250 - RisersPremier Oil (PMO) 71.75p 10.64%CYBG (CYBG) 209.00p 8.46%Spire Healthcare Group (SPI) 124.30p 6.97%Thomas Cook Group (TCG) 48.62p 5.70%Mediclinic International (MDC) 359.85p 5.50%Metro Bank (MTRO) 2,206.00p 5.45%Petrofac Ltd. (PFC) 508.40p 5.08%Contour Global (GLO) 195.30p 5.00%Tullow Oil (TLW) 180.40p 4.64%Spirent Communications (SPT) 129.00p 4.37%FTSE 250 - FallersFerrexpo (FXPO) 183.55p -4.00%Playtech (PTEC) 447.90p -2.88%Countryside Properties (CSP) 298.20p -2.23%EI Group (EIG) 185.00p -1.60%Softcat (SCT) 594.50p -1.57%NewRiver REIT (NRR) 227.50p -1.52%Bank of Georgia Group (BGEO) 1,476.20p -1.36%Energean Oil & Gas (ENOG) 591.00p -1.34%Grafton Group Units (GFTU) 741.00p -1.33%Rotork (ROR) 255.40p -1.12%