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* FTSE 100 up 0.6%, FTSE 250 adds 0.4%
Feb 16 (Reuters) - British stocks rose on Tuesday and were
set for a fourth straight session of gains as mining stocks
tracked a rise in commodity prices, while Glencore reinstating
its dividend further boosted sentiment.
The commodity-heavy FTSE 100 .FTSE was up 0.6% by 0806
GMT, supported by miners Anglo American AAl.L , Rio Tinto
RIO.L and oil producers BP BP.L and Royal Dutch Shell
RDSa.L .
Financial stocks were also among the biggest gainers on the
index in early trading.
Glencore GLEN.L added 3.7% as it reinstated its dividend
after its net debt fell by 10% in 2020, helped by surging
commodity prices in the second half. The mid-cap FTSE 250 index .FTMC added 0.4%.
In company news, drugmaker AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) AZN.L rose 0.2%,
after the World Health Organization (WHO) listed its COVID-19
vaccine for emergency use, widening access to the relatively
inexpensive shot in the developing world. BHP Group BHPB.L fell 0.2% even after the miner reported
its best first-half profit in seven years and declared a record
interim dividend.