FTSE 100 rises after employment report curbs expectations of Fed move

More than £38 billion has been added to the London market after American jobs data came in shy of expectations, knocking back the chances of an interest rate hike from the US Federal Reserve.

The FTSE 100 Index rose 2.2% as the US employment update weighed on the dollar and boosted the prospects for London-listed commodity stocks.

A fall in the US dollar makes commodities priced in dollars cheaper, lifting their demand.

Oil majors Royal Dutch Shell B and BP picked up 2.8% and 2.9% respectively.

The mining giants were also pushing higher, with Fresnillo climbing 3%, Randgold Resources lifting 2.9% and Anglo American rising 2.5%

However, it was healthcare giant Hikma Pharmaceuticals which was in the ascendency on London's top flight, up 5.2%

Across Europe, the Cac 40 in France soared 2.3% and Germany's Dax closed up 1.4%

The jump comes after US non-farm payrolls figures showed 151,000 additional jobs were added to the market last month, missing consensus estimates for a 180,000 rise.

The lower-than-expected amount has muted expectations for an interest rate hike when the central bank's Federal Open Market Committee delivers its next interest rate decision on September 21.

Fed chairman Janet Yellen last month signalled that US interest rates could rise following a strong performance from the world's largest economy.

On the currency markets, the pound broke through 1.33 US dollar mark as the dollar following the jobs update, before paring gains to a 0.1% rise to 1.329 US dollars.

Sterling was also up 0.4% against the euro at 1.191 euro after a PMI report pointed to signs of recovery in Britain's construction industry, as output beat expectations and picked up from July's seven-year low.

The price of oil also rose 3.2% to 46.88 US dollars a barrel as the weakening dollar made commodities more affordable.

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