FTSE 100 hits new high

Thursday, 13 August 2009 12:00

The FTSE 100 rose 0.82 per cent to 4,755.46, hitting a new ten-month closing high, with Prudential leading the way.

The insurer posted an eight per cent drop in operating profit - but outperformed estimates - and so saw shares jump by 10.7 per cent over the session.

Oil services firm Petrofac has also been rising on the index, up by 8.92 per cent, while mining stocks are also up on strong metals prices.

Eurasian Natural Resources was up by 5.96 per cent, while Xstrata rose by 5.95 per cent and Kazakhmys was up by 5.44 per cent.

But Thomas Cook Group was still weighing on the index, after the travel firm admitted the swine flu scare had cost £20 million.

Over in the US, the markets continued to rise going into the afternoon. The Dow Jones was up by 0.2 per cent, while the S&P 500 was up by 0.7 per cent.

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