Gains in oil majors lift FTSE 100

London's FTSE 100 rose on Wednesday as oil majors tracked gains in crude prices, while cautious investors awaited minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve's July rate-setting meeting for signs of further policy easing. The main index added 0.3%, boosted by Shell and BP, as a larger-than-expected drop in U.S. crude inventories pushed prices higher. The mid-cap FTSE 250 gained 0.2%% by 0707 GMT.

Persimmon and other blue-chip housebuilders were lower in early deals after a Reuters poll showed the country's property market would be further damaged by a potential no-deal Brexit, with average prices slipping about 3% nationally in the ensuing six months.

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