Oil price rally helps Britain's FTSE edge higher

(ADVISORY- Follow European and UK stock markets in real time on the Reuters Live Markets blog on Eikon, see cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets)

* FTSE 100 up 0.1 pct

* Energy sector biggest riser as oil price soars

* RBS (LSE: RBS.L - news) falls after failing bank stress test

* Ashtead, Zoopla, RPC (NYSE: RES - news) hit record highs

By Peter Hobson and Alistair Smout

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Britain's top share index rose slightly on Wednesday, led by rebounding energy stocks as oil prices jumped after a deal to curb global oversupply, though banking stocks slipped after Royal Bank of Scotland failed a stress test.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index ended up 0.1 percent. The index was however set for a fall of 2.5 percent in November, which would snap a five-month winning run.

The index has underperformed European peers this month, as it contains many defensive stocks that have lagged as investors have bet on a return of inflation and growth following the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president.

The oil and gas sector was also flat for November, as it has been whipsawed by speculation over Wednesday's meeting of top oil producers in Vienna.

The FTSE's oil and gas index rose 4.1 percent after oil prices shot up more than 8 percent as some of the world's largest oil producers agreed to curb oil output for the first time since 2008 in a last-ditch bid to support prices.

Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: 0LN9.L - news) gained 3.9 percent, while shares in BP were up 3.8 percent.

Banking stocks were dragged down by Royal Bank of Scotland , which lost around 1.4 percent after it failed a stress test by the Bank of England, meaning it will have to bolster its capital buffer.

But Barclays and Standard Chartered (HKSE: 2888.HK - news) rose 0.8 and 1.6 percent respectively, both reversing initial weakness. The two banks failed some parts of the test. Lloyds Banking Group and HSBC, which had adequate capital, ended slightly higher.

Despite the choppy reaction, the stress test was generally reassuring, said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, an analyst at London Capital (LSE: LCG.L - news) Group.

"The results showed greater balance sheet resilience across the UK's banking sector ... This is comforting news for all sectors, which may face uncertain times as the UK prepares to leave the European Union," she said.

Elsewhere, slipping commodities prices saw mining stocks fall, with Rio Tinto (Hanover: CRA1.HA - news) , Anglo American (LSE: AAL.L - news) and Glencore (HKSE: 0805.HK - news) down by between 0.7 percent and 2.5 percent.

Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) in Capita (LSE: CPI.L - news) fell to its lowest since 2006 after the services provider received two broker downgrades. Its stock fell 5.9 percent, the FTSE's biggest faller.

Several stocks touched record high levels. Equipment rental firm Ashtead gained 3.7 percent and touched an all-time high after RBC raised its target price.

On the mid-cap FTSE 250 index, property listing and price comparison website Zoopla hit its best level after it announced strong results and an optimistic forecast, despite fears of a Brexit-related slowdown in the UK housing market. Its shares ended up 4.9 percent.

Packaging company RPC also struck record levels on higher revenues and broker upgrades, and was up 7.5 percent, the top riser on the flat FTSE 250.

(Reporting by Peter Hobson; Editing by Alison Williams)