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 to the top of the FTSE 100. 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.