US corporate earnings brighten FTSE day

A swathe of better than expected corporate quarterly earnings results announced in the US today pushed stock markets up on both sides of the Atlantic, including the FTSE 100 index, which gained more than 4.5% to close the day up 198.7 points at 4,130.30. It was the first time in a month that the index moved above the key 4,000 level, and was driven by investors piling into stocks across the board, with just five stocks registering share price losses. Invensys led the charge as key customer SKF, the world's biggest ball-bearing maker, said it saw better than expected demand. ...