Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.1% to 10,757.91 points by 1022 GMT on Aug. 17, putting the index on track to end six straight days of losses as mining stocks, AstraZeneca and Rolls-Royce offset broader caution ahead of key UK economic data. The FTSE 250 slipped 0.2%. Miners were among the biggest supports as firmer gold prices and a strong start for copper lifted Fresnillo, Antofagasta, Glencore and Anglo American. AstraZeneca gained after saying two late-stage lung cancer trials met key goals, while Rolls-Royce advanced after Morgan Stanley and Citigroup raised their price targets. On the other side, Unilever, Tesco and BP weighed on the benchmark. Markets were also digesting softer U.S. economic data, including an unexpected fall in retail sales, which reduced expectations of an imminent Federal Reserve rate hike and helped push global shares higher while the dollar hovered near two-month lows. Traders were looking ahead to UK labour market figures on Tuesday and inflation data on Wednesday for clues on the Bank of England's next move. Separate domestic signals pointed to a softer backdrop, with a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development survey showing weak hiring appetite and subdued business confidence, Rightmove reporting the biggest August drop in asking prices for newly listed homes since 2018, and Fitch affirming Britain's sovereign credit rating at "AA-" with a stable outlook. Time Finance jumped 9.5% after Bentley Park Ltd. agreed to buy the SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) lender for about £55.1 million, or $74.75 million.