The London market closed higher completing a six-day winning streak, while beer giant SABMiller remained in the spotlight after it rejected the latest bid from rival AB InBev's in the takevover battle for the Peroni and Grolsch firm.
SABMiller shares remained in positive territory after it rebuffed AB InBev's third offer at £42.15, around £68 billion, claiming it "very substantially undervalues'' the business.
Strong gains from commodity stocks helped the FTSE 100 Index add 10.2 points to 6336.4, while Germany's DAX was up 0.7 per cent, and France's Cac 40 lifted 0.1 per cent.
In the economy, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said manufacturing rose by 0.5 per cent in August, in line with forecasts, following a 0.7 per cent fall in July, boosted by food and drink manufacturing and basic metal production.
The news lifted the pound by one cent against the US dollar at 1.53, and one cent against the euro at 1.36.
In London, SABMiller shares added 11p at 3633p after it knocked back AB InBev's latest proposal, with the FTSE 100 firm previously rejecting approaches worth £38 and £40 a share. Although the stock had been higher during the session.
Shares in SABMiller had fallen almost four per cent on Tuesday after reports it was planning to rebuff AB InBev.
Tesco was seeing contrasting fortunes, falling as much as three per cent at one stage after revealing group earnings more than halved to £354 million, while UK and Ireland profits tumbled 70 per cent to £166m.
But the chain said like-for-like sales in the UK were an improving picture, with the fall narrowing from 1.3 per cent in the first three months to one per cent in the second quarter.
Shares later closed up more than two per cent, or 4.9p higher at 197p.
Miners rose after a positive note from Morgan Stanley on the biggest players in the sector.
Anglo American was the strongest riser in the top flight jumping 10 per cent, or 60.3p to 664.5p, Rio Tinto lifted 173p to 2487p, and Antofagasta was 39.5p higher to 576.5p.
Sports Direct International slipped four per cent, or 33.5p to 742p, after it said it had struck a €47.5m (£34.8m) deal which would see it buy Irish high street chain Heatons.
The sportswear retailer, controlled by billionaire Newcastle United owner and Rangers shareholder Mike Ashley, already owns half of Heatons.
The clothes and homeware retailer has 44 stores in the Republic of Ireland and 10 in Northern Ireland.
Analysts at Peel Hunt called the deal "sensible" but not the "game changer" purchase Sports Direct's management has promised.
The broker said it still expected Sports Direct to announce a deal worth over £100m by the end of the year.
The biggest risers in the FTSE 100 Index were Anglo American up 60.3p at 664.5p, Rio Tinto up 173p at 2487p, Antofagasta up 39.5p at 576.5p and Glencore up 6.2p at 124p.
The biggest fallers in the FTSE 100 Index were International Airlines Group down 33p at 553.5p, easyJet down 88p at 1672p, Carnival down 158p at 3285p and Hikma Pharmaceuticals down 103p at 2157p.
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