LONDON MARKETS: FTSE 100 Gains For Third Day, Led By Miners

By Sara Sjolin, MarketWatch

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index rose for a third straight day on Friday, ahead of the closely watched U.S. jobs data that investors hope will confirm the labor market is in solid shape.

The London benchmark index gained 0.6% to 6,593.38, setting it on track for a 0.6% weekly advance.

Markets across Europe rose on Thursday on hopes the European Central Bank will launch a full-blown quantitative easing program, after President Mario Draghi reiterated that more stimulus moves are on the cards if that is needed to revive the region's sluggish economy.

On Friday, the main event is the nonfarm-payrolls report from the U.S. due at 1:30 p.m. London time, or 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

Among major stock moves, mining shares advanced as most metals prices headed north. Shares of Rio Tinto PLC (RIO) picked up 2.8%, Glencore PLC (GLCNF) added 2.7% and BHP Billiton PLC (BHP) gained 2.4%.

But shares of Admiral Group PLC lost 1.8% after the car insurer reported a drop in third-quarter revenue.

In other London news, real-estate company Songbird Estates PLC , which owns 69% of Canary Wharf, rejected a takeover bid from the Qatar Investment Authority.

In U.K. data, the Office for National Statistics said the gap between how much the U.K. buys abroad and what it exports continued to widen in September, with the trade deficit for goods rising to 9.8 billion pound ($15.5 billion).

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