Dec. 14 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. stocks advanced, paced by GUS Plc, Rio Tinto Plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc. GUS gained after it bought U.S. online price-comparison service PriceGrabber.com.

The FTSE 100 Index added 14.8, or 0.3 percent, to 5522 as of 11:40 a.m. in London. The FTSE All-Share Index gained 0.2 percent, to 2791.19. Ireland's ISEQ Overall Index lost 0.6 percent to 7110.60, dragged down by Bank of Ireland.

GUS Plc, the British owner of the Experian credit-checking business, gained 1.2 percent to 995 pence. The company bought PriceGrabber.com for $485 million to expand its Internet operations.

Rio Tinto, the world's third-biggest mining company, gained 0.3 percent to 2,482 pence. The company approved a $112 million project to extend the life of Namibia's only uranium mine, which supplies about 7.7 percent of the world's nuclear fuel.

Shell, the third-largest publicly traded oil company, gained 0.4 percent to 1,811 pence. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co., one of the former holding companies of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, said it reached a settlement in a legal proceeding brought by the asset manager Trafalgar regarding compensation for the company's minority shareholders.

PartyGaming gained 1.6 percent to 130 pence after HSBC raised its price forecast to 134 pence from 122.

Bank of Ireland, Ireland's biggest lender, slipped 0.9 percent to 13.36 euros in Dublin. Ryanair Holdings Plc, Europe's biggest discount airline, slipped 1.9 percent to 7.58 euros.

The following stocks also gained or fell in the U.K. market. Stock symbols are in parentheses.

British Land Co. (BLND LN), Europe's second-largest real estate developer, gained 1.9 percent to 997 pence. The company's investments in London's financial district may be bought by Abu Dhabi's royal family, the Financial Times said, without saying where it got the information.

Carluccio's Ltd (CARL LN), which runs a chain of Italian restaurants that include food stores, surged 25 percent to 118 pence. Investors in Carluccio's sold shares to institutional buyers at 94.5 pence apiece in the first day of trading. The company didn't sell any new stock.

Gulfsands Petroleum Plc (GPX LN), an oil and gas exploration company, rose 17 percent to 103 pence, the biggest one-day gain since the company's initial share sale. The company said it found natural gas at one of its exploration wells in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hays Plc (HAS LN), Britain's biggest recruitment company, fell 2.7 percent to 125 pence. The stock fell on concern about the domestic market, which accounts for 70 percent of sales. ``A slowdown in the U.K. against a market backdrop which appears to be strengthening is a disappointment,'' analysts at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein said in a note to investors.

Lancashire Holdings Ltd. (LRE LN), a Bermuda-based insurer, gained 0.9 percent to 322 pence. The company raised $53 million through the sale of additional shares following an initial public offering yesterday.

London Stock Exchange Plc (LSE LN), Europe's largest exchange by value of listed companies, gained 0.1 percent to 616 pence. Macquarie Bank Ltd. yesterday met with the London Investment Banking Association and the Association of Private Client Investment Managers and Stockbrokers in connection with the Australian investment bank's proposed bid for London Stock Exchange Plc, the Guardian said, without saying where it got the information.

Namibian Resources Plc (NBR LN), which mines diamonds, gained 11 percent to 25 pence. The company said cash resources are ``good'' and it has no borrowings. Its mining plan for 2006 and onwards is completed and production from West Saltztal is ``satisfactory,'' Namibian Resources said in a Regulatory News Service progress report today.

Sunrise Diamonds Plc (SDS LN), which explores for diamonds in Finland, surged 50 percent to 3 pence. The company signed an agreement with BHP Billiton Plc to acquire exclusive use of the company's diamond exploration database for the whole of Finland.

Whittard of Chelsea Plc (WOC LN), a U.K. tea and coffee retailer, gained 5.6 percent to 89.75 pence. Julian Graves, a U.K. specialty food retailer controlled by Iceland's Baugur Group HF, offered to buy the company in a transaction that would value the business at about 21.5 million pounds ($38 million).

The offer is being made through Java Acquisitions Ltd., the holding company of Barney Holdings Ltd. Barney is majority owned by Baugur and is the holding company for Julian Graves.

Yule Catto & Co. (YULC LN), a U.K. maker of ingredients for the drug and cosmetic industries, fell 5 percent to 279 pence. The company said pricing erosion of generic products has hurt its drug ingredients unit.

To contact the reporter on this story: Aisha Phoenix in London at aphoenix@bloomberg.net .