Miners drive FTSE higher as commodities edge up from multi-year lows

Johnson Matthey tops index

Miners were among stocks leading the FTSE 100 higher in early afternoon trading, with the blue chip index jumping over 1% as oil and gold prices regained some lost ground.

The UK's blue chip index sat at around 6,357 by 1pm, led by Johnson Matthey, the world's biggest maker of metal catalysts for car emission control devices. The stock was up 9.6% to £26.93, after announcing it will pay £305m to shareholders as a special dividend following the sale of two businesses. Some of the top risers in the index were mining companies Randgold Resources and Glencore, up 3.7% and 3.6% respectively, as gold and oil edged higher after yesterday's losses. Brent crude oil slipped below the $40 mark on Wednesday, finishing the day at $40.75, as a result of oversupply...