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FTSE 100 up 0.4%, FTSE 250 off 0.1%
April 6 (Reuters) - UK's blue-chip index rose in early deals on Thursday, lifted by commodity-linked stocks, though most European markets were range-bound as worries of a possible recession in the U.S. caused an overhang ahead of the Easter break.
The FTSE 100 rose 0.4% by 0707 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 index slipped 0.1% and the continent-wide STOXX 600 climbed 0.3%. Shell rose 1.7% as the energy giant forecast higher liquefied natural gas (LNG) output in the first quarter. Robert Walters Plc fell 4.1% after the recruiter flagged persistent market challenges and said recruitment in the technology industry was hit by lay-offs. Meanwhile, homebuilder stocks edged down 0.3% even as mortgage lender Halifax said British house prices rose for a third month in a row in March, up 0.8% from February versus economists' forecast of a 0.3% drop.
The index was set for their worst weekly showing in over six months.
UK markets will be closed from Friday to Monday and reopen on Tuesday. (Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
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