London’s blue-chip index has closed above 9,000 for the first time, extending a rally in the value of the largest UK companies since the start of the year.
The FTSE 100, which was given a base level of 1,000 when it launched in 1984, closed trading 20.87 points, or 0.2 per cent, higher at 9,012.99.
The gains were driven by global mining stocks as traders piled into the resources sector on the back of an increase in commodity prices, after China started work on what will be the world’s largest dam once completed.
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Antofagasta, one of the world’s largest copper producers, led the FTSE 100 higher, rising 4.7 per cent to £19.56, followed by Endeavour Mining, the gold miner, Fresnillo, the Mexican precious metals company, and Anglo American.
The London index’s winning streak has been attributed by analysts to investors seeking a haven from the global volatility…
