London’s FTSE 100 edges higher as miners rally on record copper prices

Dec 23 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 ended higher on Tuesday, supported by gains in shares of banks and miners amid thin trading volume ahead of the Christmas break.

The UK's blue-chip FTSE 100 .FTSE closed 0.3% higher, extending its upward momentum from last week after the Bank of England's 25-basis-point interest rate cut pushed the index to a five-week high.

The domestically focussed midcap FTSE 250 .FTMC index added 0.1%.

Trading volumes typically decrease during the holiday-shortened week. Markets will close early on Wednesday, and remain shut on Thursday for Christmas Day and on Friday for Boxing Day.

Miners Anglo American AAL.L rose 2.6% along with Antofagasta ANTO.L and Rio Tinto RIO.L, adding 1.8% and 1.1%, respectively, as copper prices surged to a record high, crossing the $12,000 mark.

Anglo American also benefitted from Wells Fargo initiating coverage with an equal weight rating and a target price of $17.

Lenders HSBC HSBA.L and Barclays BARC.L added 0.7% and 0.8%, respectively.

Miners and financial stocks, along with defence stocks, were the biggest drivers of the FTSE 100's gains this year, which is up 16% year-to-date.

Similarly, pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX and Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 index .SPX have also gained about 16% each so far.

Healthcare stocks .FTNMX201030 climbed 0.4% in the session, mirroring gains in European peers, after heavyweight Novo Nordisk NOVOb.CO clinched the U.S. approval of its weight-loss pill.

Metlen Energy and Metals MTLN.L was up after the real estate investment trust completed a renewables transaction in Chile.

Weighing on the FTSE 100 index, Diageo DGE.L dropped 1.8%, extending its slide to a second session, while Compass Group CPG.L fell 1.2%.