Hope that more stimulus measures would be ordered to boost the world’s biggest economy helped lift London’s leading shares index through the 5,900 mark today.
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke boosted world markets when he said the US economy still needed help to produce faster job growth, which was taken as a sign that more quantitative easing could be on the cards.
The FTSE 100 Index closed 47.8 points higher at 5,902.7 and Aberdeen Asset Management was among the biggest risers after posting a better-than-expected trading update for the six months to March 31.
Shares in the investment management group were ahead 4% or 10.9p at 260.8p after it revealed a rise in assets under management to £184.4billion at February 29 from £173.9billion as at December 31 last year.
An aversion to risk remained however, and some of London’s heavily-weighted mining stocks pulled back and stopped more significant gains.
Polymetal International was down 25.5p at 935p and Eurasian Natural Resources dropped 5.5p at 626.5p.
Lloyds Banking Group was one of the biggest fallers, dropping 0.4p at 35.5p, and fellow taxpayer-backed Royal Bank of Scotland was down 0.3p at 27.8p.
Outside the top flight, Irn-Bru maker AG Barr was ahead after reporting a 6.2% rise in pre-tax profits to £33.6million in the year to January 28. Shares were up 8p at £12.28.
The biggest Footsie risers included Tullow Oil up 97p at £15.70, Smiths Group up 29p at £10.49 and Croda ahead 59p at £21.56.
Among the biggest Footsie fallers were Icap off 8.9p at 408.9p, Resolution down 4.6p at 274.9p and Weir Group off 27p at £17.87.
Elaine McLachlan, of investment manager and financial planning specialist Brewin Dolphin in Inverness, noted that risers included oil and gas exploration and development firm, Xcite Energy up 5.3% to 125.13p. Fallers included Aberdeen-based specialist oil and gas firm Parkmead, off 2.5% at 19.8p.