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Dec 7 (Reuters) – The UK’s export-oriented FTSE 100 rose on Wednesday, helped by the healthcare sector which got a boost after drugmaker GSK avoided a US lawsuit over its heartburn drug Zantac.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) was up 0.3% by 0818 GMT, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) was flat.
The pharmaceutical sector ( .FTNMX201030 ) rose 4.2%, driven largely by an 11.8% jump in GSK Plc ( GSK.L ) as it survived thousands of U.S. lawsuits claiming Zantac caused cancer.
The real estate sector (.FTUB3510) fell 0.3%, with mortgage lender Halifax saying it saw the biggest monthly drop in home prices since October 2008.
Mitchells & Butlers Plc ( MAB.L ) rose 10.5% after the pub and restaurant group reported a 53% jump in annual profit as it said recent sales in the new financial year were encouraging.
Moonpig ( MOONM.L ) was among the laggards as orders were hit by a postal strike at Royal Mail, after the greeting card company cut its annual sales forecast.
Reporting by Johan M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D’Souza
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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