British stocks gain on signs of economic recovery, Rolls Royce jumps

London-listed shares rose on Wednesday as investors bet on a faster economic recovery following upbeat manufacturing data from the world's two biggest economies, while Rolls-Royce jumped after signalling a rebound in demand for luxury cars.

London-listed shares rose on Wednesday as investors bet on a faster economic recovery following upbeat manufacturing data from the world's two biggest economies, while Rolls-Royce jumped after signalling a rebound in demand for luxury cars. The luxury automaker rose 3.3% to the top of the FTSE 100 a day after Chief Executive Officer Torsten Muller-Otvos said the return in demand meant Rolls-Royce was the first car company to resume production in the United Kingdom on May 4.

The FTSE 100 index and the mid-cap FTSE 250 index climbed 0.8% and 0.3%, respectively, with mining , chemicals and aero stocks leading gains. Britain's top homebuilder, Barratt Developments Plc , jumped 2.7% even as it scrapped a special dividend payout and reported a near 30% fall in full-year housing completions and revenue.