U.K. stocks higher at close of trade; Investing.com United Kingdom 100 up 0.87%

U.K. equities closed higher, with the UK 100 rising 0.87% to a fresh three-month high. The move was led by strong gains in WPP, Croda International, and Unilever, while Barclays, Centrica, and Diploma were the biggest laggards. Market breadth was positive, with advancers outpacing decliners 937 to 776 on the London Stock Exchange. The broader backdrop was mixed across assets: gold, WTI crude, and Brent all fell sharply, the U.S. dollar index edged lower, and GBP/USD and EUR/GBP were little changed. Overall, the article points to broad risk appetite in U.K. equities despite weakness in commodities, with sector strength in consumer and chemical shares supporting the index.