LONDON MARKETS: Miners, SABMiller Send FTSE 100 Higher For Second Day

U.K.’s FTSE 100 index headed for a second straight day in positive territory on Thursday, as shares of SABMiller rose after a well-received earnings report and miners advanced on the back of encouraging Chinese manufacturing data.

The benchmark index gained 0.3% to 6,841.18, building on a 0.3% advance from Wednesday.

SABMiller PLC (SBMRY) picked up 4.1% after the brewer reported a slight increase in full-year profit. The company said its strength in developing markets such as Africa and Latin America had held up in the past 12 months, but that it sees ongoing weakness in Europe and North America.

Mining firms were also on the rise after a much-stronger-than-expected manufacturing report from China. HSBC said the preliminary or “flash” version of its monthly purchasing managers’ index headline number rose a five-month high of 49.7 in May from a final reading of 48.1 in April. Upbeat Chinese data tend to support miners, as the country is a major user of natural resources.

Shares of Antofagasta PLC picked up 2.3%, Rio Tinto PLC (RIO) rose 1.4% and Glencore PLC (GLCNF) added 1.1%.

By Sara Sjolin