FTSE closes higher but stays below 4,000
The FTSE 100 closed higher as confidence in financial stocks improved but remained below the 4,000 mark for a fourth day.
FTSE closes higher but stays below 4,000" class="imageframe alignright" height="200" src="http://pictures.directnews.co.uk/liveimages/London+Stock+Exchange_1455_19045808_0_0_7019977_300.jpg" width="200"/>The FTSE 100 closed higher as confidence in financial stocks improved but remained below the 4,000 mark for a fourth day.
The index ended 32 points higher at 3,848.98, led by investment firm Icap, which was trading 12.35 per cent higher.
Barclays followed closely with a 7.54 per cent rise, while Royal Bank of Scotland, which is expected to release results tomorrow showing record losses, rose 4.52 per cent to 23.10p.
Mining stocks fell on the index, with BHP Billiton down 2.27 per cent and Anglo American fell 1.74 per cent.