LONDON, Jan 3 — UK’s exporter-heavy FTSE 100 jumped 1.4 per cent today, marking a strong start to the New Year, as energy stocks rallied and investors waited for manufacturing data due later in the day.

The blue chip FTSE 100 rose 1.4 per cent by 0820 GMT after far outperforming regional peers with a 0.9 per cent rise in 2022.

The more domestically-focused FTSE 250 midcaps rose 1.1 per cent, while the broader pan-European STOXX 600 gained 0.7 per cent.

As crude prices rose, oil majors Shell and BP gained in early trading, pushing the broader energy sector up 4.2 per cent.

Markets were also watching for UK manufacturing PMI data for the month of December, which is expected to have held steady year-on-year.

Cineworld dropped 17.6 per cent after the British cinema operator said it would not sell any of its assets individually, and that it had not held discussions with AMC Entertainment about the sale of any of its theatres.

Rolls-Royce rose 4.9 per cent to top the FTSE 100, after Jefferies raised the airplane engine maker to "buy” from "hold”. — Reuters