UPDATE 1-London's FTSE 250 midcap index scales near three-month high; BP slides
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May 26 (Reuters) - UK stocks climbed on Tuesday, with the FTSE 250 touching a near three-month high on renewed optimism over U.S.-Iran talks, while BP dropped after removing Chair Albert Manifold.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 .FTSE closed 0.2% higher at 10,491.39 points, touching a five-week high. The FTSE 250 .FTMC climbed 0.7% to its highest since March 2 in its fourth straight session of gains.
BP BP.L shares dropped 4% after Chair Albert Manifold was ousted with immediate effect, citing governance standards, oversight and conduct issues, months after he took office to help oversee a strategy revamp.
U.S. and Iran signalled progress on a memorandum of understanding that could halt conflict between the two nations and restart shipping through the pivotal blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
However, U.S. strikes in southern Iran tempered some enthusiasm that the deal was imminent.
Major lenders HSBC HSBA.L, Barclays BARC.L and Lloyds LLOY.L were among the top boosts to FTSE 100, while Rio Tinto RIO.L and Glencore GLEN.L rose 2% and 3%, respectively, as metals prices firmed. MET/L
The FTSE 100 index had ended a four-week losing streak on Friday after softer economic data weakened expectations of a Bank of England rate hike.
However, the latest report showed British shop price inflation sped up in May on the back of disruption and higher energy costs caused by the war.
Among individual stocks, Kingfisher KGF.L rose nearly 4% after the home improvement retailer maintained its full-year profit outlook despite a drop in first-quarter underlying sales.
Melrose Industries MRON.L fell 5.3% after an overheating chemical tank at its GKN Garden Grove facility in California triggered an emergency response and evacuation orders over the weekend.
