FTSE 100 closes higher on corporate results, China data

FTSE 100 Index, British benchmark stock market gauge, Thursday increased by 0.98 percent, or 65.84 points, to 6,752.41, as the market sentiment bolstered by some of blue chips earnings.

British insurer Legal & General announced a 18 percent year-on-year increase of operating profit in the first half of 2015, topping the market forecasts.

London Stock Exchange Group also said its profit after tax in the first half jumped 21 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year, beating expectations.

Data also showed that Caixin China General Services Business Activity Index was 53.8 in July, up from June's recent low of 51.8, registering an 11-month high of growth rate.

Mining giants led the top gainer of London market Thursday, with Rio Tinto increasing by 3.93 percent, BHP Billiton by 3.58 percent and Antofagasta by 2.87 percent.

Prices of Legal & General and technology company Sage Group closed higher by 2.77 percent and 2.72 percent respectively.

Travis Perkins led the top losers of the blue chips with a share price drop of 2.57 percent, followed by Sports Direct International (0.99 percent), Relx plc (0.97 percent), Hikma Pharmaceuticals (0.96 percent) and G4S (0.94 percent).

Trading volume in FTSE 100 companies was around 90 percent larger than the 30-day average. And the index has gained 5.19 percent so far this year.