London close: Stocks edge higher after choppy session amid Greek uncertainty

London's stocks finished a choppy session in the green, though gains were only modest as sentiment continued to be dominated by mixed newsflow from Greece.The FTSE 100 settled the session up 7.59 points (+0.11%) at 7,040.92 after swinging between gains and losses for most of the day, with trading volumes lower than average. Markets across Europe, however, finished firmly in the red.The official in charge of leading negotiations between Greece and its creditors on Thursday said that 'high-level' political intervention in Europe is needed before the two sides can strike a deal. Greece's Deputy Foreign Minister Euclid Tsakalotos said senior political figures will have to step in to "bridge the gap".His comments followed a series of contrasting claims from each side over the last couple of days - a number of Greek officials had suggested a deal was close, while creditors such as IMF chief Christine Lagarde said "there is still a lot of work to do"."No sooner does a headline appear than it is swiftly denied. The net result is that we have seen see-saw action across indices, especially in Europe," said IG analyst Chris Beauchamp.Markets gave a subdued reaction to morning data that showed that UK GDP expanded by just 0.3% in the first quarter. This was in line with the initial estimate but below the 0.4% growth expected by analysts and the 0.6% increase seen the preceding quarter.Sports Direct, Kingfisher and ARM rise High street sports retailer Sports Direct was a high riser after it lifted its guidance for annual profits due to "continued and prudent depreciation policy and lower interest charges".B&Q and Screwfix owner Kingfisher also impressed after making a "solid" start to the year under new French chief executive Véronique Laury, with like-for-like sales up 0.8% in the first quarter.Chip designer ARM Holdings was in demand as M&A activity continued across the sector after Broadcom was snapped up by Avago Technologies in a $35bn deal.Equipment rental company Ashtead dropped on negative readacross from US peer United Rentals Inc which talked down activity in May.Shares in Tate & Lyle slid after the sweeteners and food ingredients group said that full-year pre-tax profit dropped 30% as it continues to restructure its business.Product testing group Intertek was trading in the red after Deutsche Bank downgraded its recommendation on the stock from 'buy' to 'hold'.Insurance group Direct Line was on the rise after JPMorgan Cazenove upgraded the stock from 'neutral' to 'overweight', saying the risk-reward balance has improved due to an anticipated improvement in UK motor pricing. Market MoverstechMARK 3,329.30 +0.20%FTSE 100 7,040.92 +0.11%FTSE 250 18,237.00 -0.00%FTSE 100 - RisersSports Direct International (SPD) 686.00p +4.18%ARM Holdings (ARM) 1,168.00p +2.55%Kingfisher (KGF) 375.00p +2.24%Dixons Carphone (DC.) 473.50p +1.98%Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG) 337.00p +1.81%3i Group (III) 564.50p +1.80%Associated British Foods (ABF) 2,950.00p +1.72%Sage Group (SGE) 577.50p +1.32%Experian (EXPN) 1,255.00p +1.29%TUI AG Reg Shs (DI) (TUI) 1,188.00p +1.28%FTSE 100 - FallersAshtead Group (AHT) 1,161.00p -4.60%BT Group (BT.A) 449.75p -2.02%easyJet (EZJ) 1,624.00p -1.81%Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 587.00p -1.59%Intertek Group (ITRK) 2,537.00p -1.51%Smiths Group (SMIN) 1,201.00p -1.48%Capita (CPI) 1,262.00p -1.41%Whitbread (WTB) 5,185.00p -1.14%Sky (SKY) 1,068.00p -1.11%Old Mutual (OML) 226.50p -1.09%FTSE 250 - RisersPayPoint (PAY) 950.00p +8.20%Zoopla Property Group (WI) (ZPLA) 258.00p +7.50%Rank Group (RNK) 211.00p +4.46%Synergy Health (SYR) 1,895.00p +4.01%Imagination Technologies Group (IMG) 221.40p +3.89%Brit (BRIT) 288.00p +2.93%Hunting (HTG) 614.00p +2.85%Brewin Dolphin Holdings (BRW) 322.80p +2.44%Card Factory (CARD) 346.70p +2.42%Premier Oil (PMO) 159.20p +2.18%FTSE 250 - FallersVedanta Resources (VED) 582.50p -4.43%Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) 66.35p -3.56%Soco International (SIA) 184.90p -3.19%Fidelity China Special Situations (FCSS) 168.60p -3.10%Amec Foster Wheeler (AMFW) 951.00p -2.71%Tate & Lyle (TATE) 585.00p -2.42%Premier Farnell (PFL) 193.40p -2.22%NMC Health (NMC) 795.00p -2.03%Inchcape (INCH) 856.00p -1.78%Poundland Group (PLND) 309.00p -1.78%