FTSE 100 up 0.2, FTSE 250 adds 0.4

Sept 13 Reuters Mining stocks lifted London39;s bluechip index on Friday as investors raised their bets of a hefty U.S. interest rate cut next week, but gains were limited as a strong pound weighed on exportoriented companies.

The FTSE 100 edged up 0.2, while the midcap FTSE 250 firmed 0.4, aiming for its first weekly gain in three.

Precious metal miners Fresnillo, Endeavour and Centamin firmed about 2 each as gold scaled a record high against a weaker greenback.

Industrial metal miners rose 0.9 as copper prices rose to a twoweek high on expectations of fiscal support from in top consumer China.

The sterling touched a oneweek high against the U.S. dollar after the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times reported it might be a close call on whether the U.S. Federal Reserve cuts rates by 25 basis points or by 50 bps at its meeting next Wednesday.

That prompted traders to boost their expectations of a steeper 50 bps rate cut to 43 from just 14 a day earlier, according to CME39;s FedWatch tool.

An influential former New York Fed President, Bill Dudley, later said, there39;s a strong case for 50.

Investors are also gearing up for the Bank of England39;s policy meeting next week, at which it is expected to stand pay, according to all 65 economists in a Reuters poll.

The BoE meeting, however, will be parsed for clues about future moves as well as a decision over the pace of its bond sales a hot political topic. The central bank…